Crystal Palace youngster Kieran Djilali believes his loan spell at Chesterfield earlier this season made him a better player capable of performing in the Championship.

The 19 year-old scored his first senior goal for the Eagles, in his first start for them this season, against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, earning a point in a 1-1 draw that took the club out of the relegation zone.

Despite making two starts for Palace at the beginning of last season, he fell out of favour and began this campaign with spells at Crawley and Chesterfield, with the latter proving particularly useful.

"I didn't take my chance last year but this year I have come back and I think I am a better player," he said.

"I think my loan spell ay Chesterfield helped as I needed games.

"You can play as much as you want at reserve level but at the end of the day there is nothing like playing for three points in front of a crowd.

"Going out on loan and being away I had time to collect my thoughts and came back with renewed confidence that I could play at this level.

"They did ask me to go to the end of the season but I thought with the thinness of the squad here I would have a real chance to get in.

"It's taken longer than I hoped for but now that I am in hopefully I can stay there.

"The gaffer just said to relax, be confident and enjoy myself.

"I am in the team for a reason and I had just go and show him what I could do.

"It's all in my hands now, I just have to keep my head down, work hard and play well and you can't do anything more than that."

Djilali has been with the club since he was 14 but is out of contract in the summer and could leave for nothing.

"I am out of contract but I have to work hard enough to earn a new deal," he said.

"No one knows what's going on with the administration at the moment though so I am not really thinking about that.

"Probably closer to the time when we get a new owner and maybe a new manager we will see.

"Of course I would like to stay, I have no problems being at the club but it all depends on the new owners and the new regime.

"Under the current management I am perfectly happy."