Jonas Knudsen may be a professional footballer these days but insists he has lost none of the passion he displayed as a supporter.
The Danish international full-back, who is in his second season at Town after a £300,000 move from his hometown club Esbjerg fB in July last year, says he remains every inch a fan of the game.
He shares the enthusiasm of those who pay to watch him in action and said: "I am still the same person who used to follow my team back home when I was a kid. Now when I am playing I still feel the same — I love to win and celebrate with the fans.
"They are such a big part of the game because when they are with us they help us — they are our 12th man — and we have a better chance to win a game. I also like to be able to give them a little bit back when we win. I feel just the same as when I was a fan.
"The people who come to the stadium to watch the games are an important part of the occasion. Without them it just wouldn’t be the same. I have friends in Denmark who play football but only in front of 100 people or something like that.
"I have kept my passion for football and it isn’t just because I feel I have to do it. It’s because I love it and I want to win so much.”
He may be unable to link up with his family back home over the festive period but for Knudsen there is no part of the English season to which he looks forward more.
He added: "Yes, of course it is tough not to be with your family at this time of the year but I have to admit that I also love Christmas over here from a football point of view.
"I like the fact that there is extra football and that people like to go to the games over the holiday period.
"My girlfriend has her family over in Ipswich for Christmas so that’s nice but of course I miss being at home as well.
"We break for three months in Denmark but over here the football is much more important at this time of the year and I’m looking forward to it after I enjoyed it so much last year.
"I don’t think about it too much now and I enjoy the fact that I have about six weeks off in the summer, which isn’t normal in Denmark.
"Players normally have two or three weeks off there. Having the summer off means I can go back to Denmark then and see the family.
"Maybe a week off at Christmas would be nice but I know the English culture is to have extra football at this time of the year and I enjoy the extra atmosphere in the stadiums and how much the fans look forward to these games. That side of the game is very important to me.”
It will be a very different Christmas for Knudsen as he was used to back home. He explained: "Christmas in Denmark was about seeing our families but we also liked to sit down and watch a game from England on television. It is very popular over there.
"In Denmark we celebrate Christmas on the 24th, in the evening, and then on the 25th we would spend time with my dad’s side of the family — a Danish-style lunch and then some board games.
"On the 26th we would go to my mum’s family and my grandma would cook some very old-style food. That was brilliant and then we would all sit down and watch the football from England.”