Barnet loanee Conor Clifford believes moving away from Chelsea on loan at a young age helped prepare him for life away from Stamford Bridge for good.

The 23-year-old, who joined the Bees from Southend United until March 7 last Monday, never made a first-team appearance for the Blues and left the west London giants for Leicester City in March 2013 after five separate loan spells.

Clifford’s time at the King Power Stadium also failed to yield a first-team outing and paved the way for a move to current club Southend, for whom he has made 42 appearances at the time of writing.

Much is made of the stark contrast between the riches and excess of the Premier League and the harsh realities of life outside the Premier League and Clifford is only too aware of the chasm between the two extremes.

He explained: "It was difficult when I first left [Chelsea] but I experienced it when I went on loan. I was kind of young; I was 17 for my first loan at Plymouth Argyle (in 2010).

"You are in a bit of a bubble at Chelsea because you get everything handed to you; you get the best of everything and then you go down the leagues and you do not get that.

“So I got over that early in my career when I was young, so none of that stuff bothers me anymore. It is just about the football."

The former Ireland Under-21 cap continued: "It helped me a lot because you're in such a bubble and you are just taught that it what everywhere is like that and it isn't. When I was at Plymouth we finished training one day and all the lads were sprinting off the pitch and I did not know where they were going. I said, 'Where is going on?' and they were all running to get in the showers to get the hot water.

"That was my first experience of that and it has helped me as I got older.

"At the end of the day it is not about facilities, it is about what you do on the pitch," he added.

Clifford's time at Home Park saw him make just seven appearances in half a season before a switch to Notts County in February 2011 which lasted until the end of campaign and yielded a further handful of appearances.

Over the next two seasons the 5ft 8in midfielder took in loan stints with Yeovil Town, Portsmouth and Crawley Town before joining the Foxes on a permanent basis.

But the combative Dubliner insists being transient has never bothered him, even whilst he was bouncing between Football League clubs at a similar age to university-goers.

He mused: "It was not too bad. I have been used to leaving away from home. I left home when I was 15; left Dublin and my family. Living away from home has never really bothered me.

"At the start it was really hard but I got through it and it becomes second nature to you."

Clifford impressed from the bench in Saturday's 2-1 win over Woking at The Hive after replacing Luisma Villa ten minutes before half time. And despite being pitched in at short notice, Clifford was not nervous about his latest debut.

He said: "I don't really get nervous, I am just anxious. You are just running through things in your head about what you are going to do. I do not really get nervous anymore; just anxious wanting to do well, really."

Clifford last played for the Shrimpers in November but feels he is not far off of full fitness: "I played a few reserve games but it is not the same intensity. I have been working hard and I have got a personal trainer [who] I have been working hard with but it is not the same as playing.

"I felt quite good but the last five ten minutes I was blowing a bit. I think the more hard sessions I get here and doing a bit of training myself, I think it will really help me."