RORY DELAP takes a step back in time this evening... confident that Stoke City can make impressive strides forward again this season.
The experienced midfielder will be in the City squad that faces his former club Derby County in the latest pre-season encounter at Pride Park.
And as Delap looks forward to a return to the club where he spent four seasons in the late 1990s, he believes that the Potters are gearing themselves up well for the challenge of trying to improve upon two successful Barclays Premier League campaigns.
"We're always looking to improve in everything we do, and I think we have certainly achieved that in terms of our fitness," said the 34-year-old.
"Pre-season has been harder than I have ever known it in my four years here, but I'm feeling the benefit of that because I'm fitter and stronger.
"It really demonstrates that the manager will leave no stone unturned in looking to push us to even higher levels in the season ahead."
After a goalless draw at Notts County and then a 6-0 victory over Newcastle Town at the weekend, City now come up against Championship opposition in their next two pre-seas games as they face Derby County and then Burnley.
Delap added: "This will be a tougher test for us because Derby are a good Championship side who are also looking to improve this season.
"Although it's a long while since I played there, it will be good to go back and catch up with a few friends who I haven't seen for a while."
While Delap and his team-mates will be focussed on the game against Nigel Clough's side, he knows that there is a long term objective as City build-up to the opening Premier League game of the new campaign at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"The aim is to get the season off to a good start, and that means getting a result in the opening fixture at Wolves," he commented.
"We want to pick up a couple of wins in the opening four or five games because we don't want to be playing catch up. I've been in situations in the past where we've made bad starts and even at Christmas you are still playing catch up.
"It's important that we avoid that because we are looking to progress. After all, we've done that every year I've been at the Club so far.
"Staying in the Premier League is the priority, but wouldn't it be great if we could go one better again. If we finished one point and one position better off than we did last season, I think everyone would be happy with that outcome right now."
