Gillingham players get time with their families on Christmas Day ahead of a match with Crawley Town on Boxing Day

Gillingham’s family-friendly head coach is giving the players Christmas Day off – but insists they will be fully prepared for their Boxing Day clash.

It’s a hectic schedule for the Gills, who play at Forest Green Rovers tonight (Friday) before hosting Crawley Town on Boxing Day. In between those games their boss Stephen Clemence is keen to let them have a day at home to celebrate Christmas.

Clemence, with three kids of his own, said: “When you have got children yourself you understand what Christmas means to families. A lot of the players have young children as well and it is a nice time for them.

“Football is important but family is too and they have to make sure they get the time to enjoy each other.

“It has become different over the years in football. When I first started as a player, you tended to always train on Christmas morning or Christmas evening but over the years that has become a little bit more relaxed, you do your work early and you do try and give the lads Christmas Day with their families if you can.

“They won’t train on Christmas Day, they will be with their families but they will still be fully prepared, they will have all the work we normally get. They will be instructed to do a small bit of exercise at home, go for a walk, a light jog, so that they are moving, not just sitting there eating their Christmas dinner and mince pies etcetera.

“We can monitor them in lots of different ways now, Strava apps and Apple watches, they do have to send their data in when they are working at home.

"They are not kids, we have one or two younger players but they are grown men, they want to do well like I want to do well and I am sure they will prepare properly.

“Professional footballers these days are a lot different