English football's traditional festive calendar makes massive demands on top-flight players and the ex-Manchester United boss would like to see a small rest break

Sunderland manager David Moyes has called for a winter break in English football during the first two weeks in January so players can recuperate and spend time with their familiesThe traditional festive period usually brings a packed fixture list for Premier League sides with Sunderland playing Chelsea, Watford, Manchester United, Burnley and Liverpool between now and the end of the first week of January.

Moyes admits newcomers to the Premier League have a hard time adapting to the demands of the game and says having a small mid-season break would bring many benefits.

“My preference would be to have a winter break here during the first two weeks in January,” he wrote in his programme notes ahead of Chelsea’s visit to the Stadium of Light.

“Christmas and New Year games have always been part of our culture and I don’t think we should change that.“Players who have played in this country for a while know the importance of this stage of the campaign and they are used to the extra demands. It can be more difficult for players who have come in from other countries and are not used to the requirements of our traditional fixture calendar.”Moyes states the lessons he learned while in charge of Real Sociedad in La Liga helped convince him of the merits of a winter break