While the rest of the country were tucking in to unlimited chocolates and the odd glass or two of festive cheer yesterday, Raith Rovers’ Kevin Cuthbert, like all other good pros, was keeping a close eye on what he ate while alcohol was off limits all together.
The 33-year-old keeper has been in the game long enough to realise that going without is a small sacrifice which has to be made with another crunch Championship game coming up this afternoon against Alloa at Stark’s Park.
However, as a personal trainer away from football, he knows he can tuck into protein-filled turkey without having a guilty conscience.
Cuthbert said: “A few of the boys were saying they like it when it’s more hectic at this time of the year, when we’re going from game to game to game every couple of days, rather than the usual Saturday and Saturday like it is this year.
“With Christmas falling on a Friday, it’s the day before our game on Saturday and you just have to get on with it.
“It’s part of the job. They are games the fans look forward to, the Boxing Day and New Year fixtures.
“As a footballer, you just have to try to watch what you’re doing on Christmas Day and that’s the way it goes.
“You’ve got to be professional, like you do every Friday.
“I’ve missed weddings and family events for football.
“Christmas Day just becomes another day you have to sacrifice, really, and that’s just the way it goes as a professional footballer.
“You just have to watch what you’re doing. You can still have turkey, it’s good protein I’m well versed in that because I also work as a professional trainer.
“It’s just maybe your desserts and the intake of other things, like there’s always chocolates sitting about everywhere.
“Everywhere you turn there are Celebrations and so on.
“You just have to watch what you’re doing. You have to be professional and make sure you’re preparing like you would any other day.”
Cuthbert has been in great form between the sticks this season but his last clean sheet came against Alloa back on October 17.
While he would like another against the same opposition this afternoon, he insists he is just fully focused on helping the team win.
Cuthbert added: “Where we are at the minute, in the thick of it in the middle of the season, a win’s the most important thing.
“You can talk about stats all day, and whatever, but as long as we win the game on Saturday, that’s the most important thing.
“It would be great to get a win and a clean sheet, don’t get me wrong, but the most important thing is we keep churning out victories.
“We had a good win last week against Morton and hopefully we can kick on again on Saturday.”
Once again, Raith have a lengthy injury list going into the game but manager Ray McKinnon is expecting to be able to field a similar formation to the one that won at Morton last Friday night, with several players set to play through the pain barrier.
He said: “We will be along very similar lines to the way we were last week.
“A lot of them will be playing through injury but there is a good spirit among the boys and I am really proud of them.
“I know players who have a sneeze and don’t want to play but our guys are brilliant.
“Jack Ross has come in (as Alloa manager) and he will give them a boost.
“He will probably select different players to the ones that have been playing. He will change-up some way, there is no doubt.
“But it is more about what we do on Saturday.
“We have to go out there and dominate and take the game to them, to get another three points.”