Norwich City's players have been back in work for little more than a week – and Gary Holt will make sure emphasis sits on the word 'work'.

City returned to full pre-season training on June 30 and spent most of last week at England's state of the art St George's Park training base.

They are the first sessions for City under Neil Adams as City's permanent manager as well as with his first-team coaches of Mark Robson and Holt – a former Norwich player and a man also known in these parts for his pre-football spell in the army as a chef.

'That's my background and it's something I fall back on,' said the Scot. 'It was drilled into me at 16 when I joined the army, and it opens your eyes pretty quick.

'Don't get me wrong. I'm not strict, I'm not a warlord or someone crazy. It is work though. This is a work place and that's what people need to remember.

'Yes, the environment we set as coaching staff and management will be an enjoyable one.

'Neil will do that. But you come here to work. You don't come here to have a jolly, come here to just pick your money up.

'You come here to earn the right to play for this club and earn your money. And that's what you want.

'Football can be seen as an easy life. But the top players and the players who succeed, put in the work. And then they get the rewards that go with it.

'So we want players at this club, our club, to come and work. Enjoy it – because it will be enjoyable. But if you think you can come in the gates and just toss it away day in day out, it ain't going to happen.'

The Canaries' first pre-season friendly of the summer arrives on Saturday, against Dereham Town at Aldiss Park (kick-off 3pm).