During his winter breaks in his coaching stint in the MLS with Tampa Bay Rowdies, Fort Lauderdale and Inter Miami, the Barnsley assistant had been able to head home to enjoy an extended break with his family. Now, it is about football business again.

Paterson said: "The off-season in America is the winter, so Christmas holidays is the off-season. This is the first time over a four or five-year period where I have worked over Christmas.

"But it is not work, it's enjoyable, it's football and I am looking forward to it.

"I used to go out and watch games in the off-season, alongside spend time with the family. I get them both now - working for Barnsley and going to see my wife and kids every night.

"English football is special over the Christmas period. I came back from an MLS club and I remember a moment at Hillsborough (this season) where it was a packed house and we were running out and you heard the crowd and all the supporters screaming.

"Then, you saw the performance we put in that day and you sit back and go 'wow, this is why we have come to the UK' as I don't think there's anything like it. It's special."

For Barnsley players, it will very much be business as usual, with players due to train on Christmas Day in preparation for the Boxing Day trip across the Pennines to Accrington.

Paterson added: "We will be working on the schedules we normally work to in games.

"It's important over this time that we give the players the mental space over days.

"But Michael (Duff) is massive on being consistent with it over the course of the season, so there will be no change in terms of days.

"It will be what Michael feels is the best preparation for the players here.

"On Christmas Day, they will have physical output that they need to do.

"There will be training and we will be monitoring everything they do and the focus is Accrington and getting a positive result."

Martin Paterson glad to sample a traditional Christmas as Barnsley FC stick to business