NATHAN Cameron stands on the edge of his first full season as Bury captain and can barely believe three months have passed since he led them out of League Two.

The 23-year-old defender had just enough time to fit in a quick holiday before it was back to the grindstone of pre-season training.

Cameron does not mind admitting he and his team-mates plumbed the depths of human endurance during a one-week fitness camp in Tenerife.

The former Coventry centre-back says in his darkest moments he clung on to memories of the fervent support that roared Bury to automatic promotion in a dramatic final-day win at Tranmere.

And after guiding the Shakers through an unbeaten pre-season, he feels refreshed and ready repay the fans with an all-action start to their League One campaign.

“It does feel like a quick turnaround but I don’t think there will be any hangover from last season, quite the opposite in fact,” he said.

“I think we can kick on from last season and give the fans plenty to cheer about. I don’t know if I said it enough how grateful I was for the support from our fans in the run-in last season.

“It really meant a lot to me as a young captain and I know all the lads really appreciated it as well.

“I would really like to repay the faith they have shown in my by going all out again this year against better teams and players and making sure the fans enjoy it.”

Bury face a tricky start to their campaign, opening with a trip to Doncaster and a tie at Wigan in the Capital One Cup before welcoming last season’s beaten play-off finalists Swindon for their first game at Gigg Lane.

And while Cameron refuses to set any targets – other than his personal benchmark of five goals a season – he accepts a fast start would provide a welcome confidence boost.

“I am not going to say where we are going to finish. I think all the lads can do is try to play as well as we have been doing in pre-season,” he said.

“We have come together as a squad quite well, so we have to take that into the campaign and get some good form, and results, going quite early.

“I think the key for us will be to start fast.

“If we can get a good few wins under our belts before September that will give the lads a lot of confidence.

“It is then a case of getting to Christmas and New Year and see if we can kick on from there.

“I am sure the fans will be happy to finish anywhere outside the relegation zone, but as a player and a captain I want to achieve higher and I feel we have the capability to push on and do a lot better than that.”

One thing the burly young defender is sure of, however, is that he will have to step up his own game to handle everything League One will throw at him.

“Success will come from achieving a balance between defence and attack, but I think we are going to have to score a lot more than last year if we are going to do anything,” added Cameron.

“We won a lot of games 1-0 and that ultimately won us promotion on the final day.

“As a defender I obviously want to keep clean sheets, and I think the introduction of Peter alongside me at centre-back is going to help me.

“I have already learned a lot from him in pre-season and his experience of playing at this level and in the Championship is going to be vital.

“But the standard of strikers and attacking players we will come up against at this level is obviously going to be better than last season and as defender we cannot expect to get it all our own way.

“That is why we will probably have to score more goals than last season but I think have the players with the attacking flair and creativity to do that.”