He told Palace's website: I was 18 getting chucked into men's dressing rooms and seeing all sorts going on.
I really enjoyed it. I thought it made me into a man early. It helped me find my feet, find my confidence and progress my game from a game management point of view.
I was really delighted to go out on loan early. It was something I fought for when I was a young kid and I think it set me in good stead. When you're a young kid, you constantly want to build a name for yourself and prove yourself.
For me, if they've got the opportunity, they've got to go. I think it's a no-brainer. It will be great for their development on and off the pitch and it'll set them in good stead for when they come back. They will come back a better person, more of a man and ready to have a bigger impact."