Travis Johnson has told the club’s official website that making sacrifices over Christmas and New Year is all part of being a professional footballer and it is something you have to accept when you ‘sign up to the job’.

The Alex defender made a substitute performance against Sheffield Wednesday last time out and he will be hoping for more game time over the hectic period.

The full-back told us: “Playing over Christmas and on New Year’s Day is all part of being a footballer. It is something you sign up for when you become a footballer and although you have to make those sacrifices when everyone else is doing what they want, they would probably trade places with you if they could.

“If that means staying in and being responsible then that is what you have to do. I am used to it now and it is something you have to accept because it is a busy time of the season with a lot of games over a short period of time.

“It is vital that if you are not playing that you are match fit and ready to come in because you never know what might happen. That is how you have to approach things because the manager can call on you at a moments’ notice.

“I have been pushing myself in training. It is about doing those extras and all those little 5% add up in the end and when you get that chance you have to be there to take it.

Travis added: “By doing everything you can to be as fit and as ready as you can be, gives me confidence. It helps to think, going into a game, that there is nothing more I can do to be ready for it both personally and for the team.”