Steve, who has a minor ankle problem that ruled him out of the trip to Peterborough on Saturday, is nonetheless pleased that he has had a good mini-tour with his colleagues in Sweden after summer preparations in previous years have gone awry for him because of injury.
"It was nice to get back and essential that the lads were able to go away together and had some games to get back in the swing of things.
"With being out so much last season it is good to be back and I have felt good with a sustained period of training.
"Hopefully I will be ready and fit for the start of the new season, which hasn't happened for years."
Steve missed most of the previous campaign season and adds:
"Even though I didn't play much last season I still worked hard in the gym after coming back from two operations.
"I was glad of the rest this summer although it wasn't as long as it normally is and I am looking forward to having a full season."
As for his emotions following defeat at Cardiff, he adds:
"I think you deal with it a bit better as you get older but I was very disappointed for two or three weeks afterwards that we are going back to the same division that we believe we should have been out of.
"Obviously now we have to refocus and I believe it is going to be an even tougher division this year, so we have to hit the ground running.
"The teams that have come down have all had their own problems, one way or another, and inevitably players leave when you get relegated, as we found out.
"But they are still tough places to go play with formidable support and Leeds, Leicester, and Wolves will be difficult venues to go and get points - they will be major contenders this year."
Looking at the new campaign, he adds:
"I think from the manager's point of view he is looking for the three lads he bought from Wimbledon to play a more prominent part.
"And hopefully people like Elliot Ward and Anton Ferdinand can come to the fore and stake a claim even more this year.
"It is unfortunate that Elliot had to have surgery on his back last season; he is a big guy and pretty decent on the ball for a centre half, so it is entirely up to him.
"It is like with all young players, it is about how badly you want to be dedicated to it and unless you do that you are not going to come to the front."
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