John Mousinho says a summer break is not something his backroom team have been keen on.

The head coach says colleagues were in touch with him ahead of their scheduled return to work with offers of roles they could undertake with one eye on preparations for the new season.

Mousinho told the club website: 'We all shook hands after the final game of the season and I told them to enjoy a couple of weeks off. But I was already getting messages after a few days asking about players they can watch or things they can take on ahead of the return to training.

'That’s great and is a sign of how dedicated they are. They all love their football and after a few days of gardening they started to miss it!

'We had a few meetings towards the end of last season about what we want to see and how we’ll structure things, so that’s something that is always developing.

'We’ll keep meeting up over the summer to continue those conversations because we want to keep improving.'

Mousinho has spoken of his desire to get transfer business done well in advance of the new season. And with the transfer window opening in the middle of next week (June 14), activity in that regard is likely to be stepped up soon.

He told the club media: 'You naturally want to get business done as soon as possible, although that’s easier said than done. The players who are available now will have options and will want to see what’s out there before committing to a decision.

'We’ve seen that the Premier League season and the play-offs have only just finished, which can also put a delay on things. But everyone’s been working hard since the end of January to make sure we’re in a good position to sign players this summer.

'It’s all systems go for us in terms of recruitment and we don’t want to miss anyone, so rest assured we’re trying hard. You want players in for the first day of pre-season so they have the maximum amount of time to get themselves fit.

'But we know in football that you’ll see players moving in July and August — right up to the end of the transfer window — and you have to utilise that time as well, so it’s not straightforward.'

Photo: Action Images

Portsmouth Polls