DAVID TUTTLE'S dream vision of the Premiership included both Crystal Palace and Sheffield United. In the real world, however, he knows that, come this evening, only one of the two clubs will be in dreamland - and he hopes it will be Palace.

If that does happen it will keep alive another ambition the Eagles' defender has burning inside him - to play for England.

But he has not had the best of luck in his career which started at Spurs, where first team chances were restricted by injury, so he signed for Dave Bassett at Sheffield United.

However, United were soon relegated and Bassett later moved onto a Palace taking Tuttle with him. But then Bassett abandoned Selhurst Park in favour of a move to Nottingham Forest.

"It hasn't worked out the way I would have liked," admitted Tuttle. "Every player wants to be in the Premiership and I am no different.

"I felt I have done okay for Palace this season and I always give 110 per cent in games. Hopefully it will work out for me one day. I always hold onto the hope that if you can get into the Premiership and perform there, anything can happen.

"There have been a few injuries in the England side which have opened some doors. John Scales of Spurs is a good example of someone getting a chance out of the blue by being called up for the squad against South Africa, which gives hope to everybody else.

But the 25 year old knows more than most of his colleagues at Palace that his former club will be a big hurdle to overcome.

He said: "United are a big club who deserve to be in the Premiership. The fans are great, they have got a super stadium and they have some quality players such as Don Hutchison, Dane Whitehouse, Alan Kelly and Mitch Ward.

"But we have got a great spirit here. It is one of the biggest games in the club's history and we want to win it for the fans and for the chairman Ron Noades."

If Tuttle is celebrating tonight, he will spare a thought for his old mentor Bassett. The ironies of football would mean Palace going up so soon after Forest suffered relegation.

He said: "I have got a lot of respect for Dave and he has helped me through my career. There has been speculation that I might join him at Forest, but I want to get into the Premier, ship with Palace and go from there.