MARK Yates has lifted the lid on the intense training regime his Harriers squad must follow if he is to instill togetherness and team spirit in the Aggborough dressing room.

The new boss knows all about hard work after a whirlwind introduction to life in the Harriers hotseat.

Yates barely slept a wink last Thursday evening as the Kidderminster board ended a four week wait with the surprisingly quickfire appointment of the former club captain.

The 35-year-old midfielder was offered the bob at midnight, received Burnely boss Steve Cotterill's blessing at 2.40am on Friday morning, took his players for training at 9am before being unveiled to the press four hours later.

And as if that wasn't enough, Yates then presided over a battling display that ended Harriers' run of six consecutive Conference away defeats at Woking.

Since getting his feet unde r the desk on Monday, he has barely stopped for breath with the phone clamped to his ear checking the availability of players and fielding inquiries for several of his own troops.

Yates was set to attend his third and fourth matches of the week yesterday afternoon and evening and so far he is certainly living up to chairman Barry Norgrove's criteria of being a hungry and hardworking young manager.

The former Blues and Cheltenham midfielder and right hand man Neil Howarth are determined the work ethic they have displayed during his first week in the job will run from the manager's office to the training field and onto the field on a Saturday.

On Tuesday, the players visited Fitness First for a "Body-Pump" aerobics class and the new manager is keen to ensure his sessions are varied and effective.

He said: "The Body-Pump session was something different for them and they seemed to enjoy it.

"It was tough and I told them they're going to ache in a few places they didn't know they'd got!

"I've told them they're going to work hard for me and they're not just going to be working from 10.30am to 12 o'clock.

"The training will be quite intense at the right times during the week and if there's no mid-week game we'll do a few different things earlier in the week just to keep the players together.

"Team spirit can be built in many ways and that's what I'm trying to do here.

"I hope the players take to it but if they don't then tough because they're still going to be doing it.

"I'm trying to get them to want to work for each other on a Saturday and you never know where that can take you."

Yates himself and his sidekick Howarth are not being spared the rigorous training regime having both registered as players.

Howarth could play an important part in the remainder of the season having being a regular for AFC Telford in the Unibond League this season, although the central defender is cup-tied for this weekend's FA Trophy second round clash with Grays Athletic.

Yates has been keeping himself ticking over with appearances for Burnley reserves this season, but he insists he will only field himself in an emergency.

"Neil is registered as a player and I will be if we're absolutely desperate," he added.

"I don't anticipate that being the case because I think we've got enough quality without having to call upon the manager.

"Neil will be involved when I feel his experience and ability as a defender is needed, but he's my assistant and I haven't brought him here to play week in week out."