The Millwall midfielder had been put on a strict fitness regime by manager Ian Holloway after the last campaign ended.
And after recovering from a slipped disc towards the end of last season the 30-year-old is looking to come back fitter and stronger this year.
In an interview with NewsAtDen Bailey said “I have been trying a lot harder over the course of the summer to get in shape and hopefully I’ll reap the benefits of that when the season starts. Last year I didn’t have much of a pre-season and I was injured as well so it was hard to get going. This year, I’ve got no excuses.”
Bailey scored the opening goal on Saturday in a pre-season 2-2 draw, moments after being on the end of a harsh challenge which had cut open his shin. Regarding the injury the midfielder said “The referee said it wasn’t a foul so I lost my head once I saw the gash, but it’s okay now”.
The midfielder also featured in The Lions first game of pre-season at Dartford, where the away side won 1-0. He said “The Dartford game last week was a shock to the system for a few of us but we’ll get a lot fitter with the more games we play.
“Ollie knows what he’s doing and he’s got a good team behind him. We’re listening to everything he says and he’s working us hard.”
