Inside a Premier League’s players Christmas Day ‘on the water’ with ‘bucketloads of broccoli’
Boxing Day football is beloved by fans and one of the highlights of the Christmas schedule – but it can prove tricky for the players. December 26 is an iconic date in the English top-flight calendar but stars up and down the country have to finish festivities early. Walker has confirmed Guardiola has cancelled Christmas this seasonGetty A full Premier League gameweek gets underway on Boxing Day, which means clubs will need to train and/or travel on Christmas. Manchester City get things started in a 12:30 kick-off, live and exclusive on talkSPORT, which may be bad news for Pep Guardiola. The under-fire Spaniard previously had to warn Jack Grealish and Phil Foden about their off-field antics during festive celebrations in 2021. The pair were dropped out of the starting XI for City’s 4-0 win over Newcastle that year and did not even come off the bench. The England duo will no doubt be on their best behaviour this season, with Guardiola’s men boasting just one win in their past 12. As will hundreds of other Premier League players, who will be acutely aware of the potential pitfalls ahead of their busiest time of the year. What do players do on Christmas Day? Premier League sides in action on Boxing Day will be required to train on Christmas Day to stay sharp. For away games, teams will be forced to not only train but also travel Christmas Day night to stay in a hotel. Shay Given told the Irish Independent in 2017: “When you look at the fixtures as a player you’re looking at Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, to see ‘are we home or away’. “There was a period where Newcastle had about seven or eight consecutive away games on Boxing Day. It felt like we’d been totally jinxed!” Christmas is a time for players to remain sharp for Boxing Day footballGetty When do they train on Christmas Day? Teams that are fortunate enough to be playing at home on Boxing Day will have a session in the morning so they can join their families for Christmas Dinner. On Christmas training, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe revealed: “We will get them in training but won’t keep them for any longer than they need to be in and then they can enjoy Christmas like everybody else.” Kyle Walker revealed Man City have previously been a rare team to have had Christmas off, as a reward for their domestic dominance that has seen the club win six of the last seven Premier League titles. However, Guardiola has cancelled the Etihad tradition this season to reverse the team’s horrendous recent form. The defender told the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast: “We’ve been fortunate over the past couple of seasons that we haven’t had to train on Christmas Day…most do. “We are doing this season because obviously we’ve got Everton at 12:30 on Boxing Day but the last couple of seasons I know that we’ve had Christmas Day off, which has been very nice.” Carragher used to train early on Christmas morning if Liverpool had a game at Anfield the following dayGetty Walker has previously trained on Christmas Day in the past and added: “It’s as quick as possible, you’re kind of in and out, and the gaffer appreciates that. He knows that. “He makes the training short and sharp – you go in your Christmas jumpers but it is in and out, there’s no hanging around the Sauna club, there’s nothing like that. “It’s literally get in, get your training done and get out!” Jamie Carragher has also offered an insight into what Walker can expect from a player so used to having Christmas off. “You just get used to it,” Carragher said. “The worst is when you are away from home but you always train on Christmas Day. “If it is a home game, it was almost a case of getting in as early as you can, 9-10 and then get back home. “The away one, you’d be in a hotel on Christmas night, you’d train later in the day. Normally the fixtures mean you wouldn’t be too far away.” Alexander-Arnold revealed the Liverpool squad love discussing Christmas dinnerGetty Do footballers eat Christmas dinner or drink? The former yes as long as they hold back on anything too stuffy (pun intended). Liverpool‘s Trent Alexander-Arnold revealed last week that Christmas dinner is the first topic of conversation he has with fellow defender Andy Robertson on the team bus that evening. He told Sky Sports: “That’s the first question we ask – not what did you get [but] how was your dinner?” However, the real discipline comes when alcohol is offered around. “A lot of family could never get their heads around it,” Carragher added. “They’d be like have a drink! And we’d be like ‘got a game’ but it didn’t bother me too much. “One drink or something isn’t going to do absolutely anything but I’d never drink at Christmas. “I don’t understand having one or two – go out and have a good drink or what is the point? I’ve never drank in the house, ever.” Former City and New
Boxing Day football is beloved by fans and one of the highlights of the Christmas schedule – but it can prove tricky for the players.
December 26 is an iconic date in the English top-flight calendar but stars up and down the country have to finish festivities early.
A full Premier League gameweek gets underway on Boxing Day, which means clubs will need to train and/or travel on Christmas.
Manchester City get things started in a 12:30 kick-off, live and exclusive on talkSPORT, which may be bad news for Pep Guardiola.
The under-fire Spaniard previously had to warn Jack Grealish and Phil Foden about their off-field antics during festive celebrations in 2021.
The pair were dropped out of the starting XI for City’s 4-0 win over Newcastle that year and did not even come off the bench.
The England duo will no doubt be on their best behaviour this season, with Guardiola’s men boasting just one win in their past 12.
As will hundreds of other Premier League players, who will be acutely aware of the potential pitfalls ahead of their busiest time of the year.
What do players do on Christmas Day?
Premier League sides in action on Boxing Day will be required to train on Christmas Day to stay sharp.
For away games, teams will be forced to not only train but also travel Christmas Day night to stay in a hotel.
Shay Given told the Irish Independent in 2017: “When you look at the fixtures as a player you’re looking at Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, to see ‘are we home or away’.
“There was a period where Newcastle had about seven or eight consecutive away games on Boxing Day. It felt like we’d been totally jinxed!”
When do they train on Christmas Day?
Teams that are fortunate enough to be playing at home on Boxing Day will have a session in the morning so they can join their families for Christmas Dinner.
On Christmas training, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe revealed: “We will get them in training but won’t keep them for any longer than they need to be in and then they can enjoy Christmas like everybody else.”
Kyle Walker revealed Man City have previously been a rare team to have had Christmas off, as a reward for their domestic dominance that has seen the club win six of the last seven Premier League titles.
However, Guardiola has cancelled the Etihad tradition this season to reverse the team’s horrendous recent form.
The defender told the You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker podcast: “We’ve been fortunate over the past couple of seasons that we haven’t had to train on Christmas Day…most do.
“We are doing this season because obviously we’ve got Everton at 12:30 on Boxing Day but the last couple of seasons I know that we’ve had Christmas Day off, which has been very nice.”
Walker has previously trained on Christmas Day in the past and added: “It’s as quick as possible, you’re kind of in and out, and the gaffer appreciates that. He knows that.
“He makes the training short and sharp – you go in your Christmas jumpers but it is in and out, there’s no hanging around the Sauna club, there’s nothing like that.
“It’s literally get in, get your training done and get out!”
Jamie Carragher has also offered an insight into what Walker can expect from a player so used to having Christmas off.
“You just get used to it,” Carragher said. “The worst is when you are away from home but you always train on Christmas Day.
“If it is a home game, it was almost a case of getting in as early as you can, 9-10 and then get back home.
“The away one, you’d be in a hotel on Christmas night, you’d train later in the day. Normally the fixtures mean you wouldn’t be too far away.”
Do footballers eat Christmas dinner or drink?
The former yes as long as they hold back on anything too stuffy (pun intended).
Liverpool‘s Trent Alexander-Arnold revealed last week that Christmas dinner is the first topic of conversation he has with fellow defender Andy Robertson on the team bus that evening.
He told Sky Sports: “That’s the first question we ask – not what did you get [but] how was your dinner?”
However, the real discipline comes when alcohol is offered around.
“A lot of family could never get their heads around it,” Carragher added. “They’d be like have a drink! And we’d be like ‘got a game’ but it didn’t bother me too much.
“One drink or something isn’t going to do absolutely anything but I’d never drink at Christmas.
“I don’t understand having one or two – go out and have a good drink or what is the point? I’ve never drank in the house, ever.”
Former City and Newcastle keeper Given agreed, saying: “I wouldn’t be drinking, and I’d be having smaller plates than everyone else.
“They’d be cracking open a few drinks whereas I’d be on the water.”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright admitted he enjoyed training on Christmas Day because of how quiet everywhere was.
“It’s weird, when you drive on Christmas morning there’s no-one there – it’s beautiful. Everyone’s really nice, people wave to you in the cars because it’s Christmas morning… even Spurs fans!” Wright told The Sun.
“But when you get to training it’s all the same – all the guys have just left their families and it’s just one of those things that you get used to as the years go by.”
Wright added: “You can eat anything you want really – Arsene Wenger was a little bit less keen on it, but he always wanted us to eat together.
“We’d have turkey when we got to the team hotel – but we just had to have bucketloads of broccoli!”
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