It was a bittersweet Christmas for me. Having not been selected in the squad for Brighton's game at Chelsea, I was afforded, for the first time in 16 years, the benefit of a Christmas Day off to spend with my wife and children at home without the worry of preparing for a game the next day or being away in a hotel in the evening stuck to my phone with them on FaceTime.
While it was amazing to be the recipient of a privilege that not only footballers but also nurses, paramedics, police officers and people with far more important jobs than me yearn for at this time, I couldn't help but miss the adrenaline high I've been conditioned to getting from the age of 16 in the build-up to a big Boxing Day match.
With a World Cup summer coming up, the discussion is already taking place about the fact England's top flight is the only major competition without a winter break and whether by the time the tournament begins its players will be too exhausted to perform at optimum level for their respective nations. Other countries have a rest period when players can recuperate from niggling injuries and mentally wind down in preparation for the crucial second half of a season.
I believe the Christmas period is something special – there is nothing better for fans over the festive season than taking children to games and soaking up the atmosphere, which helps make for fantastic matches up and down the leagues throughout the country. I couldn't imagine a Christmas in England without football.
At the same time, having spoken with numerous players who have worked abroad and were shocked about the amount of games over this period in Britain, every one of them said a winter break was key to performing at an optimum level in the second half of a season. They said that having two weeks off at the coldest time of year, when fatigue and danger of muscle injury is increased, allowed them to heal, refresh mentally and prepare for the remainder of a campaign and perhaps a summer tournament.
And while I support our traditional holiday fixtures, I'm also a fan of our national team and seeing the joy that a country can experience when its team achieves on the world stage is something I would love to witness next July. With the talent we possess in a free-scoring Harry Kane, an unplayable Raheem Sterling and a creative Dele Alli, we have to ensure we are giving them the best chance to make our nation proud at the World Cup in Russia.
To achieve that we have to introduce a winter break but not at the expense of the traditions that make our league unique. I see no problem in having a break in the first two weeks of the new year, enabling players to prepare for the long, arduous period to come.
Trust me, I've heard the arguments of former players who make the point they "played 60 games a season" and never complained. But the truth is, even from when I started playing Premier League football 12 years ago, the athleticism, intensity and physical attributes needed to compete at the top level is increasing and will only get more demanding.
The standards expected from players – despite the benefit of increased understanding and use of sports science, nutrition and technology – are becoming harder and harder to maintain. For the benefit of the national team, now is the time to make a decision to help them as much as possible.
I am the first person to accept how blessed I am to be a professional footballer, and making the sacrifices to play over the Christmas period and be away from family is a small price to play for the privilege of doing a job I love. But, in order to give top players the best chance of success, a winter break is something we should all be in favour of though not at the expense of a unique Christmas tradition.
