CRYSTAL Palace striker Kevin Phillips says he's thankful to Monday's play-off final opponents Watford for giving him his first crack at professional football in 1994, but admits history will go out of the window come kick-off.
"If it wasn't for Watford I would not be where I am now," he told Advertiser Sport.
"They gave me my chance in football and they gave me that opportunity when a lot of people didn't, so they have got a certain place in my heart.
"Where I come from isn't too far from Watford, but at the final on Monday that will go out the window."
And Phillips hopes to use his experience to guide the younger players such as Jonny Williams and Wilfried Zaha to enjoy such a memorable occasion.
"These occasions come and go so quick and you know they certainly get forgotten about, so they just need to enjoy it and express themselves," he said.
"For Wilfried, it's an opportunity to show people what he's made of. It's a high-pressured situation and if you can handle that it can set you up for the rest of your career."For the full interview with Phillips among a host of others before Monday's game, you won't want to miss our 12-page Wembley pull-out in Friday's Croydon Advertiser.
And we also have Ian Holloway's exclusive column included.
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