JAKE Nicholson says players live in a "bubble" at the top Premier League clubs and that he's "back in the real world" after training with Crystal Palace on trial.
The midfielder was released by Tottenham Hotspur recently and hope he can impress the Eagles in hope winning a contract at Selhurst Park.
However, in an exclusive video interview with the Croydon Advertiser, Nicholson spoke about his time at White Hart Lane and how injury played a big part in adding to his first team appearance in the Europa League in August 2011.
"It was a good stage in my life - I made my debut and I was in and around the first team," he said.
"I was traveling with them and experiencing what you get, playing with Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe in training - it was unbelievable.
"I played in an U19 tournament against Liverpool at White Hart Lane, did well, got man of the match, and also got a new contract after the game.
"Things were going well but a week after I signed my new contract I tore my cartilage in my hip so it was pretty tricky.
"They x-rayed my right one and then it just backlogged, the manager changed, Harry Redknapp changed, and then I tried to get back into it.
"Some people thought maybe I'd lost it.
"At Spurs you've got facilities which are the best - it's state of the art. When you're at Spurs it's like you're in a bubble, in your own little world, and you only see that there, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
"But at Palace you're back in the real world and you have to work hard to get to where you want to get to."SCROLL DOWN FOR THE VIDEO
Nicholson joined up with the Palace U21 squad last week at a training camp in Brighton after receiving a phonecall from Academy boss Gary Issott.
And he believes it would be a good move, especially living in Surrey as a young father with his child and fiancée.
"When you've played in the Europa League, people hear your name and that you've parted ways with Spurs," Nicholson said.
"But, ideally, my dad used to coach at Palace, I've been down to Palace, and I've known Gary Issott since I was nine-years-old.
"It would be a great club to come to, and hopefully from my performance at East Grinstead, the chairman and the managers can see that I'm back.
"It's been really good so far and I know a few of the boys already like Jason Banton, Kwesi Appiah and Ryan Inniss - they've helped me a lot and made me feel welcome.
"Last week we've been away on training down in Brighton and away from my fiancée and my little kid, so it's been hard but it's been good to be around the team, meeting new people and how, as a club, they operate.
"It's been different coming from Spurs and you've got to adapt, but it's been really good."WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE VIDEO HERE
