Aberdeen midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen will forego a long-standing Christmas tradition in Norway for the first time this week.
Every year Heltne Nilsen plays in a mass game with his friends on Christmas Day in his home town near Alesund.
He admits all thoughts of being a professional player, and potentially suffering an injury in the kick-about, are banished from his mind, and all that matters is winning the match with his team of friends.
Then, on Boxing Day each year, the midfielder usually competes in an indoor tournament.
He could do this, because some of the Scandinavian nations, including Norway, have summer football seasons, which run from early April to November.
This year, however, Heltne Nilsen will face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Boxing Day.
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin will have his squad training on Christmas Day as they bid to end a six-game winless run.
Heltne Nilsen, 33, said: “There is a Christmas tradition in my home town to get together and play football on Christmas.
“Not a team, just friends, like a big mass gathering of all the guys I played with when I was 15 or 16.
“We just get together and it would be pretty full on, as it’s a full pitch and everybody is there.
“And on Boxing Day, it’s normal to have an indoor tournament and I always played in that.
“When you are playing in those games it is the most important thing as you don’t think about your career.
“You can get injured as you can go 100% because you friends make up the team and you play other groups of friends from the same town.
“Unfortunately this year I am not able to go. We won it last year and it’s a very big thing in my home town.
“I think my friends are upset I can’t be there and we have another player injured now, so they might not go this year because they are afraid they might not win it.”
‘I never had a need for a break’
Aberdeen will have a training session at Cormack Park on Christmas Day as they bid to end their slump in form.
The Reds have taken just three points from the last possible 18 following a 3-1 loss to Hibs at Pittodrie.
Heltne Nilsen said: “We are training Christmas Day, but in Norway we celebrate on December 24.
“Our expectation is to be the best team in a match, dominate and go quickly forward.
“I never had a need for a break in Norway, I always wanted to continue playing football.
“Hopefully we put in good performances over the upcoming games.”
Plastic pitch of no concern for Nilsen
Aberdeen will bid to end the winless run on the artificial pitch at Kilmarnock.
Kilmarnock, managed by former Dons boss Derek McInnes, are the only club in the Premiership to have an artificial surface.
Premiership clubs voted in May to ban plastic pitches in the top flight from 2026-27.
Kilmarnock plan to replace their pitch with grass within that timeframe.
Heltne Nilsen is used to synthetic surfaces as they are widespread in Norway.
The midfielder signed for Aberdeen in the summer from Norwegian top-flight SK Brann.
He said: “It’s nothing new to me as I’m used to playing on a lot of plastic pitches in Norway.
“I think it’s only five teams in Norway that still play on natural grass pitches now – and that’s too few.
“I’m sure more teams could have a normal pitch, but I understand it for the northern teams.
“Bodo Glimt and Tromso have to have astro because of the weather, but the others, no.
“It can be a different game on a plastic pitch when it comes to having duels on the surface.
“I can understand why some clubs in Scotland want to get back to grass, because it’s also important for the reputation of the league.”
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