COLCHESTER United’s players will be put through their paces in Germany this summer.

And U’s boss Paul Lambert has promised that the pre-season training camp will be no easy ride for his squad.

Colchester will travel to Bonn – the former capital of West Germany – in mid-July, as part of their preparations for the forthcoming season.

It was with nearby Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund that Lambert won a Champions League medal, in 1997.

The Scot’s experiences in the country prompted him to take his Wycombe Wanderers squad to a venue near Dortmund, two years ago.

While Colchester are in the country later this summer, Lambert is hoping to arrange at least one competitive game against German opponents.

Temperatures are likely to be sky high during the Rhineland camp.

And that is exactly what Lambert wants.

He told the Gazette: “Germany will be really tough for them – it’s really warm there in the summertime.

“I know the way they’re organised and the way they work there.

“It’s not like places like Spain, where teams go over there and they have the life to go with it.

“Cologne and Dortmund are nearby, but predominantly it’s football-based.

“There won’t be much nearby – it’s work and that’s what I want to do.”

This is Lambert’s first pre-season with the U’s, following his appointment as Geraint Williams’ successor last October.

He believes the trip to Germany – coupled with the six friendlies the club have lined up – will serve as ideal preparation for a promotion push in Coca-Cola League One next season.

“Our job is to get the team winning and give them a confidence,” said Lambert, who spent more than a year at Dortmund.

“Ian (Culverhouse) and I have never really once had a chance to work with the lads in terms of the shape of the team – in relation to when you have the ball and when you don’t have it.

“Germany will give us that chance.”

Meanwhile, the Colchester manager is keen to seal as many of his new signings as possible before the Germany trip.

Lambert wants any new arrivals to get to know their team-mates at the pre-season camp.

He added: “If we can get the new lads in before we go to Germany, it will give them a chance to bond with one another.”

l Former Colchester United loanee Lewis Gobern has been released by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The winger, who made 12 apparances for the U’s, will not be offered a new deal at Molineux.