The Premier League is back and for us, that also means the return of John Giles.

The first topic he tackled was pre-season and the globe-trotting approach Premier League clubs take.

He sees results in pre-season as totally irrelevant when it comes to judging how teams are shaping up.

"The last thing you want in pre-season is travelling," he said.

"One of the things that you make most tired is travelling. You see them going to China, going here, going everywhere and the climate can be very, very hot. These are not ideal preparations.

"Pre-season is preparation for the start of the season. This is not good preparation."

Rest Required

The Ireland legend contrasted that with his era when Leeds United, for example, stayed local for pre-season. And the pre-season in his day ran for three to four months which meant plenty of down-time.

"But the money's so big now that they're getting huge money for [tours]," he added.

John also feels the back-log of international competitions is "not good for the players" who need a break.

"You need the rest for the body to recover," he said.

"Your body's not getting the rest to recover and then you need to get back into shape again and mentally as well.

"I think you need at least five weeks in the close-season."

You can watch the full chat with John Giles at the start of the YouTube video above. Our full coverage of today's Transfer Deadline Day is available to watch here.

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