Why Manchester United players actually enjoy busy Premier League Christmas schedule

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Christmas is always a busy time for professional footballers. Like that festive box of chocolates on the dining table, the fixtures are crammed in throughout the holiday period which, while good for fans, means there's no let-up for the players who have to maintain their levels and keep fit in training.

That takes players away from their families during the Christmas week, while away trips can keep them away for even longer. But while the festive schedule may be seen by outsiders to be one of the downsides to being a professional footballer, Manchester United players Scott McTominay and Luke Shaw have previously opened up about why the players actually enjoy it. READ MORE: Hojlund gamble has created a January transfer problem READ MORE: £60m January transfer windfall that could fund squad rebuild McTominay said: "You know what to expect whenever it comes around Christmas time, that you might not be able to see your friends or see your family as much as you'd like, but that comes with the job. "It's part and parcel of football, it's part and parcel of the life we're living.

If you didn't enjoy it then you wouldn't do it." He added: "The training on Christmas Day, the games on Boxing Day and the 28th - that's what footballers love.

They love to play games, they love to do the training as well. Hopefully we can keep that going." Luke Shaw agreed with McTominay.