We wish you a Melwood Xmas

In some entertaining and revealing interviews with LFC Magazine, Jay Spearing explains which team-mate he'd like to buy a present for, while Charlie Adam reveals which costume he'd wear at a festive party...

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JACK ROBINSON

Which present do you remember wanting most when you were a kid?

When I was 13, I desperately wanted a PS2 but I ended up getting an X-Box instead.

If you had to buy a team-mate a booby prize who would you get it for and what would you buy?

Adam Morgan has recently passed a driving test so I'd buy him a freshener for his car because it stinks!

ALEXANDER DONI

Is Christmas celebrated differently by footballers in Brazil?

Well we have more time off to be with the family. That is very important. There is a break in the season, it's summer time and the children have their school holidays.

How will you spend Christmas day in England?

We will keep it normal. My parents are coming over. I think Lucas and Fabio [Auerlio] are doing the same. We might get together and enjoy.

What is the best present you've ever received?

When I was a child, I really wanted a bike. I was seven years old and my father bought it for me. I was very happy.

STEVE CLARKE

Is Christmas different for players than it is for coaching staff?

I think it would be irresponsible to drink or eat more than you want. The backroom team can still enjoy the day but the players have to treat Christmas day as the day before a game. Physically, the body has to be ready to run around the next day for 90 minutes so they certainly can't be drinking and eating too much rich food. Maybe they have to go for a bit of pasta with their turkey rather than some roast potatoes.

JAY SPEARING

If you had to sing a karaoke song at a Christmas party, what would you sing?

Usually I'd say a Christmas song but on this occasion I'd have to say Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon. Everybody knows that don't they? Hopefully people would get into it and drown my voice out.

Have you done fancy dress at a Christmas party before?

The team did it a few years ago and I went as Del Boy. It was brilliant. I was buzzing off it. I'd do it again. 

What Christmas present would you buy for a team-mate?

I'd get Martin Kelly a comb or some hair gel. Otherwise, I might buy him a poster of Vernon Kay. 

MAXI RODRIGUEZ

Is it a strange experience for South American players like you playing over Christmas?

Last year, I suppose it was but a lot of football is about routine so it's easy to get used to. In Argentina, Brazil and the other South American championships, the leagues shut down for a long time between December and February or March so it is a nice time to be with the family. In Spain, it is similar, although there are usually two or three weeks without games. During this time there are training sessions. Over here, I understand that it is the culture and tradition to play over Christmas. This is very important because it is nice for the families to watch football and be together. It is always important to maintain tradition and the atmosphere at game over Christmas are always very good. I'm excited about it.

MARTIN KELLY

Have you ever been to a Christmas party in fancy dress?

I went as Lurch once from the Addams Family. When I went on loan to Huddersfield, a couple of the lads called me it so it stuck a little bit.I suppose I have the perfect body for him!

What Christmas present would you buy for a team-mate?

I'd by Jordan Henderson some hair-gel that lasts forever. So when you put it on, you don't have to fix it again. He's always touching his hair!

JOSE ENRIQUE

What is the best Christmas present you have received?

For me the best present I receive every year now is having my family around me now that I am playing away from home in England. I receive visits from my family to see me and they come and watch me play. That is very special to me.

How does Christmas in this country compare with Spain?

Everything is different because as a footballer in Spain you always have eight, nine or ten days off because of the winter break, depending on the team and the manager. But of course here you play a lot of games at this time of year, sometimes two in three or four days. The other side of it is that you finish the league season earlier in this country so you have all the summer holidays together so in some ways that can be better. I have got used to it now. I understand that the fans love seeing their team playing matches over Christmas. But I have played here a few years now so I understand it a lot better.

PEPE REINA

What is the best Christmas present you have received?

I think my first football. And also the kit of the then Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta when I was just a kid. That will always stay in my mind because being a goalkeeper was my dream and I was a really happy boy! I would have been six or seven but I was always running up and down with the shirt on and playing with the football. It was really good.

The Christmas period is always a crucial time in the season?

As we always say, it is such an important period of the season and we have to get the maximum points that we can because if we have a good run in December and January that will allow us to be up there with the best. We have to be focused on those games. With all respect to everybody we have to play, even though it's very tough to beat anybody in this league, they are decent fixtures that we have in front of us and we have to take advantage of that.

SEBASTIAN COATES

Are you looking forward to playing so many matches over Christmas?

The Christmas fixture programme in England is very different from what I am used to in Uruguay and it is also different from what they have in Span because they have a break as well. But although it is something that I am not used to, we still have to play all these matches so it has to be done. Hopefully we can win as many of the winter matches as possible so that we will be able to improve our position in the league.

What is the best Christmas present you have received?

I have been lucky enough to receive many and I can't really think of one in particular. When I was a young boy though I received a football as a present and that was a very good one so I will go for that!

CHARLIE ADAM 

What costume have you worn to a Christmas fancy dress party in the past?

I've gone as Scooby Doo before, so if I had to go again I'd probably choose that outfit.

What's the biggest difference between Christmas in Scotland and Christmas in England?

It never snows here. When I was living in Blackpool I don't think we ever had snow. That's the only major difference. Everything else is the same; the food, the TV, everything. It's just there's no snow.

STEWART DOWNING

Have you ever played a game in snow?

I've played in a few when there has been an awful lot of snow, especially further north where it does get even colder. There were a few games at Boro where they had to brush the snow to the side of the pitch before we could play. I just got used to it eventually. One with really bad weather that stands out was the Carling Cup semi-final against Blackburn when I was at Villa. It was the second leg at Villa Park, we were 1-0 up from the first game. It was absolutely horrendous conditions for the second leg. There were huge hailstones falling. And I think the way we were playing in the first 20 minutes we were praying it was going to be abandoned because we were 2-0 down, 2-1 down on aggregate. We won 6-4 in the end. It was an amazing game. 

JONJO SHELVEY

Did you always receive football-related gifts for Christmas?

Yeah, the majority of presents had something to do with football. I always got a lot from my family, they would come around with big bags of stuff. My nan used to get me pencils when I was at school or socks. Mum usually got me a pair of trainers and I'd always be buzzing to see them. I got a lot of kits. One that I remember well was the yellow Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper kit. I used to support whichever team was top of the league. They were top that week so my mum got me their kit.