Being involved with the first team, be it in the Premier League or the Europa League, you just have to take it as it comes. You keep all the nerves inside and just play your normal game.
I would not want to be the Europa League in the current format, that's for sure. Thursday night games are difficult to contend with given the level of physicality we deal with in the Premier League. We struggled with it at Newcastle and we were not alone in that among the English clubs. Until that issue is addressed, no Premier League team wants to be in the Europa League. That's the reality, even if some don't want to admit it.
I went from Chelsea to Fulham - two Premier League teams at the time - and was sitting on the bench for the Europa League and Premier League and you don't think it is going to finish.
Of course the Premier League is the most difficult league in the world because it's so even. I think you can't really compare other leagues with the Premier League. In the Premier League, every team can beat every team, and in football, that's something where you can have surprises.
I actually spoke to all the national team players who play in the Premier League, asking about what the league is like and the style of play. It's one thing watching it on the TV, but being involved in it every day is another thing.
It's such a crazy league, the Championship. People used to say that to me, and when you are in the Premier League, you don't really take notice. It's a good league; it's tough, and I like it. But the Premier League is where I want to be, with Villa.
All I want to do is win the Premier League and Europa League - I don't stop to think about being named as the Player of the Year. It's not something that interests me.
For a team like Brighton, just being in the Premier League is important. That is the name of the game.
Aston Villa had been in touch and they'd gone into the Premier League so I knew I could play in the Premier League just like that.
It's always a good time to play against a team when they come back from Europe, whether it's the Europa League or Champions League.
No matter the competition, Premier League or Europa League or cup, I want to win. This is the truth.
In Spain, they show many Premier League games on TV, and it is an inspirational league. Maybe I would like to play in the Premier League.
I even got game time in some Europa League matches, some other Premier League matches and managed to make a start in an FA Cup match as well.
During the first season of European football at Hoffenheim after we lost the Champions League knockout game to Liverpool, I changed a lot of players between Bundesliga matches and the Europa League for fresh legs. I learnt that we needed more stability. You need to keep five or six of the same places to give you structure, to be your spine.
I'm looking forward to every game that I'm going to be involved in, whether it's the Champions League, Premier League, or anything else.
What puts you in a different level is if you win the Premier League, and you're capable of challenging every season for the Premier League, and if you play Champions League, and you really believe, and you're a real contender one day to win the Champions League. That's my objective in Tottenham.
You can take a sidewards step in the Premier League, go to a team in the Championship or come to a team in League One.