STEVE McCLAREN wants Newcastle United’s players to enjoy a first pre-season under his watch and has even got ‘the ball out’ to make sure they do.

The recently appointed Magpies boss might have made slower progress than anticipated on the recruitment front, but he has already had his first two days training with the squad he has inherited.

The majority of the players he can call on have been back at the club’s Benton training HQ and the rest of them will be meeting him for the first time on Monday when preparations step up a notch.

The presence of Sylvain Marveaux suggests that every player has a clean slate, although because the interview was conducted by the club’s official website there were no questions about outgoing or incoming deals. Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow, who spent last season on loan at Nottingham Forest despite a £7m move to St James’ Park, are also on Tyneside trying to impress the new boss.

McClaren said: “It’s great to get them back and it’s great to get some work done. I’ve been at Newcastle two and a half weeks and more or less been on my own.

“I’ve been talking to a lot of people and doing a lot of work behind the scenes. It feels real when players actually come back. To see them all coming back bright and breezy is really good.”

At this stage many coaches, Alan Pardew included, are known to concentrate on fitness, but McClaren was keen to see his players play some too.

“We talked to the players – we told them this is where we are now, this is where we want to go,” he said. “But talking’s all well and good – it’s what you do on the field and that’s why it’s enjoyable to get out there and start the work.”

McClaren’s backroom team will include Ian Cathro, Paul Simpson and Steve Black. Confirmation of such appointments has not arrived just yet. He will, though, be looking to get involved on the training ground because he prefers that to looking on from the sidelines during sessions.

“The training ground is where the work is done. We always say preparation is key - Monday to Friday if you work hard and get the preparation right on Saturday you’re ready to play. This is part of the job, as a player and coach, to be on the grass and working hard,” said McClaren.

“It’s a shorter pre-season. We’ve got ten days’ hard work before we go to America and we want to get some structure, some ball work, into the players and try to incorporate the two – fitness work and ball work. On Monday the internationals are back. I can’t wait for them – we’ll have everyone and everyone will be back.”

Asked why he was so keen to get the balls out on the first day of training rather than over indulge in the fitness side of things, he replied: “Well, you play football with a ball. It’s vital that we do that and the players enjoy that, I do also.”

Lascelles knows all about the methods of McClaren, who has been linked with a move for Liverpool’s controversial flop Mario Balotelli, from his time in charge of Forest when the defender was just 16.

And Lascelles, 21, said: “From what I know of him, he’s great at what he does. He got Derby playing some great football in the Championship, so just imagine what he can do with these boys here.”

Newcastle do not expect a transfer breakthrough until after the weekend, but sources at the club maintain that progress is being made on that front.