WOKING skipper Josh Casey admitted he felt nerves and anxiety about what lay ahead in pre-season.

Casey, who has captained the Cards since joining the club in 2018, told the News & Mail: “There’s always the first-day nerves coming back, where everyone is sort of apprehensive and nervous about what’s in store and what sort of running you’re going to have to do and how hard it’s going to be. 

“That doesn’t change whether you’re 18 or 38. It’s always the same. 

“Everyone knows the first couple of weeks are always gruelling and hard and then you get to enjoy more of the football stuff and you have pre-season friendlies as you get closer to the season starting. 

“So it’s a process and you kind of know what to expect and know what’s coming. But at the same time there’s that anxiety at the start about what lies ahead in pre-season.”

Casey is looking forward to this Saturday’s friendly at Welling United, the side Woking beat in National League South’s 2018-19 play-off final.

He played the full 90 minutes for the Cards as they overcame the Wings 1-0.

Casey said: “I have fantastic memories from that day and the celebrations. I remember key moments from the game. They hit the post, we scored and it was then very tense and a bit of a turgid affair.

“I don’t think it was a match anyone would look back on and say there was loads of quality. It was just one we had to get through – and luckily we did. So it’ll be interesting facing them again. 

“There’s no-one in that Welling team who was there at the time. And I think I’m the only one left now from our 2019 side. A lot’s changed, as it always does in non-league.”