SOME things never change and one of those is the competitive edge to Connah’s Quay Nomads’ training sessions.

Andy Morrison’s reigning Cymru Premier champions are back on the training field as they prepare for their first ever Champions League campaign next month.

Nomads train as they play - with 100 per cent commitment to every second - and the versatile John Disney insists that it’s been great to get back into the swing of things at Colliers Park.

Saturday saw Nomads boss Morrison, who turns 50 today, split his team into two sides for a 60-minute training game.

“Every session is competitive because everyone wants to play,” said Disney. “All of the players in the squad want to play and they deserve to play.

“People are flying into tackles as usual and that won’t change. It’s not over the top, but it’s competitive. There are no prima donnas in the squad and everyone works hard in training to be at their best for games.”

Nomads have been fortunate to utilise Colliers Park, the former home of Wrexham having undergone a multi-million revamp.

“As a kid going through centre of excellence and academy football we’d play against Wrexham,” said Disney. “This is a really, really impressive set-up and even the lads who came up through Wrexham’s youth system were impressed by how it looked.

“The pitches are fantastic and even though we haven’t been able to use all of the facilities the whole place looks so professional and clean.”

Nomads haven’t been able to use all of the facilities due to guidelines surrounding the coronavirus, which called time on the 2019/20 Cymru Premier season.

An unweighted points-per-game basis handed Nomads the title as Morrison’s men claimed their first ever top-flight title and ended The New Saints’ dominance.

Nomads were awarded the title over two months ago, but there is still no sight of the trophy in the Deeside Stadium cabinet.

“It’s been strange,” said Disney. “There’s no violin out because it was fantastic to win the league, but we’ve still not received the trophy or a medal for our achievements.

“Once we get our hands on the trophy it will be great. We are the champions of Wales.”

There was talk of Nomads ending The New Saints’ stronghold of the Cymru Premier long before they opened up a four-point lead over Scott Ruscoe’s men ahead of the campaign being ended abruptly.

And Disney, who has signed a new one-year deal to stay in Flintshire, always felt Nomads were capable of pushing TNS as hard as any team have since Bangor won the title in 2010/11.

“Earlier in the year I said ‘why can’t we finish first? We can’t we challenge for every trophy?’

“There were two cups on offer last season and we won them both, which is fantastic for the club.

“The league is getting better and better every year, you only have to look at the likes of Leon Britton and David Cotterill coming into it, and for us to be champions and win the League Cup is fantastic.”