Vincent Kompany discusses Burnley’s Christmas plans ahead of Fulham, Liverpool & Aston Villa tests

The Clarets kick-off a busy festive schedule today when they travel to the capital to face Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Tricky games against title-challenging Liverpool and Aston Villa follow before the year is up.

While Kompany could be tempted by a glass of champagne on Christmas Day, he insists it’ll otherwise be business as usual ahead of the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s men the following day.

“Yeah. I’m fairly used to that because I’ve been in this league for so long,” he said, when asked if his side will be in for training on Christmas Day.

“It will probably be a glass of champagne as well allowed on the day but also watching videos and preparing meetings.”

Kompany has, however, already granted his players a bit of family time with a festive get together at their Gawthorpe base.

“It’s a tradition, I’ve always done it,” he revealed.

“I don’t know if it was done before but we did it last year and I’ve also done it every year for the past 10 to 15 years.

“It just gives time for the families. This training ground is not the easiest to access for everyone so every now and then for players and families to come together in the place where they work and have a little bit of a different angle to it, I think it’s healthy. It’s good.”

Having first moved to England in 2008, Kompany is now well accustomed to the hectic Christmas period.

“I love it. I’ve always loved it, because it doesn’t make sense,” he said.

“It’s a romantic feeling of England sometimes, it’s a country of common sense where sometimes things that don’t make sense get appreciated by everybody.

“It doesn’t make sense. You have the Christmas period, your families are travelling in, you’ve got so much pressure of people being in your house, if you see maybe half a smile you worry that’s going to have an effect on your game the next day in a different mindset. Yet it’s the most special period of the year.

“You get tested physically, you get tested mentally, you never see as many happy faces in the stadium as during that period of time because people are generally in a positive mood as well.”

Kompany added: “For some reason I remember Swansea away in the one hotel in the town where they were holding all the festivities and it was an early kick-off as well. Why? I don’t know. But I got used to it and I’ve come to get used to it.

“In the beginning, if you come from abroad you talk to your mates and they’re all on holiday. Where do they go at this time of year? Jamaica or these kinds of places.

“You literally train like we did today with however many layers on and preparing for probably the busiest schedule of the season. But I have to say, when you’ve paid your dues in the Championship, everything else is easy.”

Travelling down to London two days before Christmas is far from ideal for any team, but Kompany insists he won’t allow his players to use it as an excuse.

“I’m fine with it, really,” he said. “I wouldn’t allow the team to complain either, it’s part of the culture.

“What you have to keep in mind is the balance of the schedule. Are you playing against a team that’s had the same tough schedule? If there is a disparity in that, that’s where you can be a little bit like ‘come on’.

“But if we’re all going through the same thing, it’s fine. Bring it on.”