"Good morning to all of our supporters that have been anxiously looking in, no doubt with their own opinions and views on the players that have been signed and the players that are leaving.

"It is never easy for me letting good people and good players leave the club, but having won a Championship title in League Two just two years ago I felt that it was vitally important to try and improve our team.

"This is a new competition at a much better level, and I made the mistake a couple of years ago of not improving the team and then going up and being mid-table and average. I don’t want that, so my challenge through the summer has been to improve the squad and try to take the club forward rather than sticking with players because they have done so well last year.

"I have got to choose the players that are going to suit the division and who I feel will help us be successful. Yes, a lot of players have left but this club have been going up and down from this division for years and I have got to change that.

"I woke up this morning and realised that this is my 35th pre-season starting here today, and I have never been so excited. With such a good group of players and some good young players involved with the group it is going to be a very, very exciting time ahead.

"Hopefully now over the next few weeks we can bed in these new players into our current group and progress as a football club."