AFTER a couple of weeks of training in Glasgow, the Ayr United squad returned to home soil on Friday for a session at Cambusdoon Sports Club.

The emphasis these days is very much on ball work.

In the era of Ally MacLeod, Jock Stein and Jock Wallace players were ordered to run constantly - often for weeks before the ball would come out during the pre-season.

But at this session the ball was out after about 10 minutes of runs and short sprints - the players started working on passing drills. The team spirit was good, albeit more players are needed to complete the squad ahead of the first match against Kilmarnock in the Betfred Cup a week on Friday.

Asked how the sessions were going, manager Ian McCall, preparing for his third full season in charge told Ayr United Media: "Pre-season has been worryingly fantastic although there have been teething problems between going from part-time to full-time. There are problems players have to overcome that fans don't know about.

"We have put in serious hard work over the past couple of weeks which puts in good stead for the rest of the season. The new signings have been magnificent both as men and players and the attitude among all the players has been great."