This year has been a busy one for women’s football, and as someone who has played non-stop for club and country, Jill Scott has hailed the Women’s Super League’s Christmas break as a ‘relief’.

Writing for the Daily Mail, the Manchester City midfielder explained that despite football’s Boxing Day tradition, a festive break is exactly what WSL players need. 

Those who represented their country in France at this summer’s World Cup will be feeling the need for some time out, even more, have not benefitted from a full break between seasons.

Scott goes onto explain that Man City have recognised that their players will benefit from having two weeks off, but each squad member has been handed "tough individual training programmes".

In the case of Man City, who are currently second in the WSL, their squad will have a week to rest and switch-off, before being met with fitness tests to monitor their activity across the Christmas break.

Each WSL team have developed their festive period strategy, with some clubs breaking earlier and others scheduling training on New Year’s Day to deter players from partying too hard the night before.

The 32-year-old recognises the Christmas break as vital, having previously seen certain players put in extra work in December only to then break down by March. Referring to her duty as a Lioness, she also recognises what little time she has spent with family this year.

Although the midfielder thinks it's "strange for male players having to train on Christmas Day", Scott would be keen to mirror the men’s festive calendar if it could mean more exposure for the women’s game.

“If playing over the festive break meant we would see more fans coming through the gates – given lots of people are off work with their children – then, of course, the FA WSL player would welcome it,” Scott explains. 

Just a week after Man City captain Steph Houghton revealed that she rarely watches women’s football, her teammate Jill Scott enforces the idea that WSL players are always willing to go ‘above and beyond’ to help grow the women’s game.

The WSL restarts on Sunday 5 January.