RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK

I do understand Chelsea are a big club, and there is always pressure on managers to win games and trophies. So I understand they might not be willing to take a chance on someone at a bigger club.

I feel like a first-team Premier League player at Palace.

I'm not afraid of any competition. I'm not going to be intimidated by any player or team. That is fundamental in football if you want to do well.

Coming to Crystal Palace, I'm really excited to be playing. There's still massive competition here.

At Palace, I feel like a first-team player, and I have got the opportunity to play every week.

To compare players at different stages in their career shouldn't happen.

It was amazing to be playing at Stamford Bridge with the stadium full.

I'm glad I came to Palace because I am getting the game time I wanted. I am also learning to fight with some good players.

It's hard to compare the faith of Gareth Southgate and Roy Hodgson and my lack of chances at Chelsea because it's such a big club.

I really liked watching Thierry Henry and Zidane, especially Henry in his Arsenal days.

I had problems growing up. I had a sudden growth spurt at 15 or 16, and I got a lot of injuries as a result. I gained all this muscle, and my bones couldn't cope. I used to get so tired.

I'd had success with the junior England teams.

Every game means something, the supporters are fantastic, and since I've come to Palace, I've learnt to fight as a team and for the three points.

I believe that if you do all the right things, in time, you will get your opportunities.

I'm not one to bow under immense pressure. I know how to deal with it. As a youth player growing up and playing for England, you deal with it then and get used to it. You just carry on into the bigger stages, and it has become natural to me.

It's hard to keep training at your best, but I made sure I did for when the time came, or when I did get opportunities like at Palace.

I'm getting more confident the more I play.

My goal simply was to have an impact, to try to make a contribution and help the team win. I wasn't thinking, 'I want to play well, so I start the next game.' But every kid's dream is to play in the World Cup. Watching at home with your parents when you're 10 years old, you never think you'll be there in the future.

All I do is try to do my best, and I try to enjoy my football as well.

Playing with some of the best players in the world, you're going to get better every day.

Training has always been top level. No matter if it's at a World Cup or not, training's been really good and at a high level.

It was tough mentally at Chelsea, obviously not getting the game time. I had to be really patient and have the mentality to still train right and do all the right things.

I'm confident in my ability that I can do well wherever it is.

Everyone's journey is different in football; no one's the same.

I'd been at Chelsea for a while and progressed quite quickly until I got to the first team, and then it was different. I was used to playing every minute of every game, but when you get to that level, the step up is massive. There are world-class players in front of you, and no matter how talented you are, breaking in is difficult.