Hughes, who came through in a dressing room full of characters at Derby County as a 16-year-old, is playing his role as a senior professional to welcome the next generation of Palace stars to first-team training.
"Like I have said before, it is sink or swim," Hughes says. "That has moulded me into the person I am today. It has helped improve me massively from a mental point of view
"It was an old-school mentality, but I’m so glad I came through in that situation. They have got to integrate themselves, but of course you want to help them and if they ever want to have a word with you then I will always be there for them.
“But you have also got to tell them how it is. I think football nowadays is a bit soft in a sense with younger players, but the lads we have got here have been brilliant. They take criticism on the chin, they want to learn and their attitude and quality has been top.”
Plus, get the matchday programme for all your favourite regular features: Roy Hodgson, Steve Parish, Doc Brown and a look back at some special moments in Palace history - including harking back to Monty Python, pre-war Matt Busby and much, much more...