Chris Hogg 'learned loads' from pre-season opener against Leicester

Cobblers, who fielded two separate XIs in sweltering heat at Leicester’s training ground, trailed 3-0 after just 22 minutes but competed better thereafter as all five summer signings featured, in addition to two trialists.

"I enjoyed it and I thought it was a perfect exercise for us on the back of the training that we’ve done,” said Hogg. “You see the quality Leicester have got and the level of the venue and how they’ve looked after us, it’s all been really good.

"It was a really good exercise and I learned loads from it. You have a preconceived idea of what people are and who people are before you go in and then you go in and train and work with them and you get a better picture.

"You see people under fatigue and under pressure. Yes, it’s a pre-season friendly but there’s still pressure in terms of wanting to perform and playing in the heat. You see people under duress and I learned loads about the team and individuals within the team.

"I saw lots of good stuff from the second half team in terms of what we’ve worked on and having the discipline to go out and do it. Pre-season for me is all about learning and building things and it was a really good exercise.”