Trevor Carson admits he found Tony Docherty’s training demands initially tough but insists he is benefiting from the hard work at Dundee.
The 35-year-old Northern Ireland international joined the Dark Blues from St Mirren in the summer on a three-year deal after the Dens Park club had been promoted to the cinch Premiership.
The Dark Blues train at Gardyne Campus at Dundee and Angus College, a venue which has allowed for longer training stints, but that has found favour with Carson.
Ahead of the trip to Easter Road to play Hibernian on Saturday, he told DeeTV: “I think every club has their own sort of identity.
“The one thing since I’ve come here is, we work hard, probably as hard as any team I’ve been at in the last 10 years in my career.
“We have double days out on the pitch a couple of times a week and at the start I found that a bit tough.
“Every training session we do is intense and the manager has got everyone onside with that.
“The first couple of weeks I found it strange, but the more we have done it the fitter I feel and the better we are getting as a team.
“That intensity and just being your best in training every single day, although I am not saying it hasn’t been like that at previous clubs, but we have great facilities here.
“At other clubs the lads are in their cars and away for 12.30, but the gaffer wants us to take advantage of these facilities.
“We have a swimming pool upstairs, a gym, a lovely area to chill out with the lads so I think that is a big thing for the gaffer, he wants us to be in and around the place a lot more.”
Hibs appointed Nick Montgomery as new boss earlier in the month as replacement for Lee Johnson and the Easter Road side are unbeaten in three matches with the 4-2 Viaplay Cup win over St Mirren on Wednesday night setting up a semi-final meeting with Aberdeen.
The Dark Blues have won only one of their first six league matches and sit in ninth place with six points, but Carson is boosted by the way they fought back to draw 2-2 with Kilmarnock at home last weekend after playing the majority of the game with 10 men after Josh Mulligan was sent off in the first half.
Carson, who has played for Cheltenham, Hartlepool and Motherwell among a host of clubs, said: “It will be a tough game. They’ve had a real bounce since a new manager came in and any time you go and play Hibs you’re expecting a really tough game.
“In my time up here in Scotland, maybe four or five years, I haven’t had an many wins there so it’s always going be a tough game, but we know we’ve got a great chance to go and pick up three points.
“That’s all the manager has drilled into us all week, we’re going to win the game. And that’s all we’re thinking about.”
