Heart of Midlothian are "way ahead" this pre-season compared to 12 months previous, according to Steven Naismith.

The team have just finished a physically and mentally tough week-long training camp in Tenerife but one that has been hugely beneficial. The first-team squad have been on the training pitch every day, more than once most days, as well as additional gym work, plus a number of meetings to reinforce key messages and concepts ahead of the start of the season.

The work has taken on greater significance for six new recruits who have been able to integrate and get to understand the different areas of what is expected of them from the management team.

The week has set the team up for two friendlies at Tynecastle Park in the space of five days, firstly Leyton Orient then Tottenham Hotspur.

"It's been excellent," Naismith said. "Been excellent from the facility in terms of the training pitch but also the hotel, the proximity of everything. It has ticked everything we wanted to.

"The quality of work has been really good and we need to credit the players for that because there has not been one where we thought they've struggled, whether it be fitness or the tactical part. Everybody has been on it. Getting to know the person has been good.

"If I was to compare from last pre-season to this pre-season, we're definitely way ahead in terms of what we're trying to do. A lot of the things that we had to work a lot on last season, you maybe didn't see until two months into the season, it is becoming second nature, it is becoming what we do. I definitely think you can see that in this week's training."

From the outside looking in, there has been plenty of work on the training pitch and with regards to team bonding. But an important feature has taken place behind closed doors with regular team meetings, with at least one most days.

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"We try to work with everything recorded so you've always got that day's work to review," Naismith said. "On top of that, our concept. What it is, how we do it, whether it be in possession in a certain area of the pitch to a transition moment.

"They are meetings that we have built that everybody needs to have, we need to have them as a group and we are working our way through them. By the end of pre-season, we will have had them all but we have managed to fit a few in this trip as well which just gives the players an understanding."

The players have been able to get some downtime during the week, whether it is a game of golf in the afternoon when there hasn't been a double session or a team meal out on the night of the Spain v Germany game. But what about the coaches?

"To be honest, there isn't much time," Naismith said. "Especially the coaches with the other parts, whether it is recruitment, what we've got planned for going forward.

"We understand the next six months are going to be really hectic so we are trying to get as much of the work we can behind the scenes. We are doing that so there isn't much downtime for us. A wee hour or so to play padel but other than that we've been busy.

"It's not been one for resting."