The days of Nathan Doyle playing catch-up are behind him.

As City swelter through their week’s boot camp in Ireland, the midfielder is in the midst of the perspiring pack.

It may be hard work – but nothing compared to what he faced when he returned to Valley Parade a year ago.

Doyle arrived on the eve of the season, leaving him little or no time to get in shape before the real stuff began. He had to do his pre-season “on the hoof” in between the early games.

Roll forward 12 months and it is a completely different scenario.

Doyle reported for duty with the rest in the opening week and looked a slimmer figure for the fitness programme the players had been handed for their summer break. He can clearly feel the benefits.

“The beauty of it is that I’ve come back firing and ready to train. Last year I was always playing catch-up and it was difficult.

“Pre-season has been good. The games so far have been a test for us and we’ve worked hard over here.

“The heat has made it harder for obvious reasons but it will be better for us in the long run. It makes sure the lads will be fighting fit for August 3 (when the league begins).”

If anything, the last three weeks of training have been more manageable because of the regime that Doyle and Co stuck to during their holiday break.

“It’s not that easy to keep to because you do get distractions when you’re at home.

“You’re not in training every day and you get mates asking you to go out. But obviously you’ve got this sheet to follow and you have to stick to it.

“If you cut corners in this game, you get found out.

“You needed to come back at a reasonably fit level but then that makes your pre-season easier.

“I found it hard last year without doing a pre-season. Thankfully I came through the year injury free.

“To get through 64 games last year as a team shows you must be doing something right on and off the pitch.

“But the lads all came back this time in good shape. I think it surprised the gaffer and Nick Allamby how fit we were.”

The fact that Doyle is still with City may surprise some fans. When he signed a new one-year deal three days into pre-season it put to bed the links with Huddersfield that a few seemed to take as fact.

“It’s just rumours,” he said. “You should never listen to rumours.

“I’m one of those people that unless I hear it from the horse’s mouth then it’s not true.

“The fans were great with me last year and have been from the moment I signed.

“They’ve been amazing in the cup run and the away games when they’ve travelled in numbers.

“You think of the amount of miles they put on their cars and the money that they’ve spent. It’s terrific.

“They’ve been our 12th man on more than one occasion.

“Burton away in the play-off semi-final was ridiculous. The fans were just all there singing and chanting and it made such a difference.

“They are the ones that make you want to wear a Bradford City shirt and put in 110 per cent every game.”

Doyle is spurred on by the thought of opening City’s League One campaign against a Bristol City side who were two divisions above them last season.

“It’s always good when you get to that first game and you’re fit and ready. Now this is where we earn our money.

“There are some big teams that have come down from the Championship and Bristol City away is a great place to start.

“Any team who underestimates us will get a massive shock.

“We’ve added to the squad and the players we’ve got in have been fantastic in pre-season. Technically on the ball they are great and they like to put the graft in as well.”