Full squad bike rides, competitive go-karting sessions, bowling tournaments and American pool forfeits. Newcastle United players are certainly mixing work with pleasure out in Austria as they prepare for the upcoming Premier League campaign.
Eddie Howe has recently used warm-weather trips to Saudi Arabia and Dubai to ensure his team enjoy a tight-knit bond both on and off the pitch. The Magpies boss is keen for players to enjoy a close relationship with one another and sees trips abroad as the ideal opportunity to boost team spirit.
Upon his arrival at Newcastle, Howe also asked first-team players for personal information such as the birthdays of family members in a move that shocked squad members. Ryan Fraser, who won the team's Austrian go-karting session in recent days, has spoken openly about the emphasis the Newcastle coach puts on squad morale during these periods abroad in the off-season.
