Notts County winger Nick Tsaroulla has a perspective on football that few can match—and it's one that makes every playoff moment feel like a gift.

When the Magpies step onto the pitch at a sold-out Meadow Lane on Friday for the second leg of their League Two playoff semi-final against East Midlands rivals Chesterfield, Tsaroulla won't just be playing for promotion. He'll be soaking in every second of an experience he once thought he'd never have.

The 27-year-old's journey to this point is nothing short of remarkable. Back in 2017, while on the books at Tottenham as a teenager, Tsaroulla was involved in a head-on car crash in Winchmore Hill, north London, while driving to Spurs training. The collision nearly cost him his life and threatened to end his football career before it ever truly began.

"It's a short career, a short life," Tsaroulla told BBC Sport. "Life can be taken away in any second, football can be taken away in any second—which it was for me—and then you realize how much you miss it and you just want to enjoy every second of it."

The crash left him sidelined for a year, enduring months of pain and uncertainty. Tottenham released him in 2018, but Tsaroulla refused to let his dream die. He fought his way back into the game, eventually landing at Notts County, where he's become a key figure in their push to return to League One after an 11-year absence.

Now, with 17,000 fans expected to pack Meadow Lane, Tsaroulla is determined to make the most of the moment. "That's the spirit we embody as a team," he said. "That's what we did in the first leg, and we're going to go out and do that again in the second leg."

For Tsaroulla, this isn't just about football—it's about cherishing every chapter of a story he almost didn't get to write. "One day, in 30 or 40 years' time, hopefully, I can look back with my kids and grandkids and tell them stories about the experience I got to live through, playing in a playoff game like this against Chesterfield in a derby."

As Notts County chase promotion, Tsaroulla's journey serves as a powerful reminder: the game is precious, and every moment on the pitch is worth treasuring.