New Chelsea defender Gary Cahill accepts his form this season has been patchy, but insists his best years are to come.
Cahill's protracted £7million transfer to Stamford Bridge was completed on Monday and the 26-year-old has been included in the squad for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Norwich.
The England centre-back admits he struggled in a Bolton team locked in a battle against relegation, but has taken comfort from his international performances.
"My form this season has been bit of a rollercoaster, but overall I've been pleased with the way I've been playing," he said.
"For England I've been really pleased, whereas for Bolton it started dodgily before coming into my own over the last couple of months.
"By joining Chelsea from Bolton I'm jumping from one scale to another scale and hopefully having fantastic players around me will make my job easier.
"I've come from a team that is under a lot of pressure and doesn't have too much of the ball, and I'm not being disrespectful.
"With Chelsea you're in possession and on the front foot all the time. That will help me and you've seen that from me with England.
"It's great to be able to get on the ball and express yourself, whereas sometimes at Bolton we played a little bit more direct."
Cahill, who was linked with Tottenham and Arsenal last summer, revealed he took little convincing to join Chelsea and is excited by the prospect of playing in a team that demands silverware.
"This is a fantastic career move for me," said Cahill, who is reported to have signed a five-and-a-half year contract.
"You always strive to be at the top of the game and coming to Chelsea has given me that opportunity
"The manager didn't really need to sell the club to me, Chelsea being Chelsea. Every competition they enter they look to win.
"To progress I needed to be at a club where there are such fantastic players who are older and more experienced than me. I can really learn from them.
"My first aim is to work hard in training and then, if given the opportunity, to keep hold of the shirt.
"I'm under no illusions that it will be difficult to break into the team.
"I'm over the moon to be here and now I want to show people what I'm all about.
"I've signed a long contract and I feel my best years are ahead of me.
"I've come here to win trophies and titles and that's exciting."
Cahill has been spoken of as a successor to John Terry at the heart of Chelsea's and England's defence, but he is no hurry to replace his new skipper.
"There's no concern from John's side. It's exciting for me to work with the likes of John, it will only improve my game," he said.
"I've learnt a lot from John playing with England and the partnership has gone well up to now. There's competition between all of us here."
Cahill always knew he would join Chelsea, despite the time taken to finalise a transfer that was reportedly delayed by negotiations over wage demands.
"It was a little bit frustrating, probably because the transfer was more in the public eye than it would normally have been," he said.
"I was never in doubt that it would be sorted in the end. I'm pleased that it's done and now I can enjoy playing football."
Norwich manager Paul Lambert has backed Fernando Torres to come good despite the Chelsea striker's goal famine.
And Lambert believes the Spaniard's poor form has nothing to do with the £50m price tag around his neck.
Lambert's side take on Chelsea with Norwich's on-form striker Grant Holt, bought for £400,000, having scored eight Premier League goals this season and Torres having scored two.
It is a stark comparison, but Lambert insists Torres is not daunted by his transfer fee.
Lambert, who was hoping to complete the signing of Leeds midfielder Jonny Howson later on Friday, said: "Would I like to have Torres? Yeah, course I would. I wouldn't bother about his price tag.
"I know the lad's not scored for a while but he is still a top player, a brilliant footballer, a terrific striker. I don't think it's anything to do with a price tag hanging over his head.
"As long as they have got the hunger to go out and do it, it shouldn't matter how much they cost. Football is about lifting trophies. You want to win things.
"But if you are talking value for money Grant has been phenomenal for this club for £400,000. People look at £400,000 and think it's nothing, but to some clubs it's a hell of a lot of money."
No-one could ever accuse Holt, a former tyre fitter, of lacking hunger. The 30-year-old made his debut for Norwich in a 7-1 defeat against Colchester United in League One at Carrow Road two-and-a-half years ago.
He is now one of the main reasons why Norwich have confounded the experts and lie ninth in the Premier League, nine points above the relegation zone.
For Holt, tomorrow brings another challenge when he is likely to come up against England central defenders, John Terry and new signing Gary Cahill.
It is unlikely to faze Holt, the epitome of the pragmatic attitude Lambert has instilled in his team.
"You want to test yourself against the best," said Holt. "It will be a good battle."
Holt is reluctant to be drawn into comparisons with Torres and, as a man who makes his living from scoring goals, he has a natural affinity with the misfiring Chelsea striker.
Holt, who has played for 10 clubs, said: "He's under a lot of pressure. He's gone for a big price tag and it's not nice when you're not scoring goals.
"Last week he hit an unbelievable volley which goes off the underside of the bar. He needs a cross to miss everyone, hit him on the back and go in the bottom corner. If he gets that it would be as big an achievement as if he hit one from 40 yards.
"You are only worth what someone wants to pay for you. If someone pays £50m for him that's what he's worth. If someone pays £400,000 for me that's what I'm worth.
"It was a big investment in League One and I hope everybody who paid it thinks it has been value for money.
"I'm lucky I'm in a squad with players who can put it on a plate for you. It doesn't matter what division, if there are good players around I'll score goals. But if he (Torres) wants to at the weekend he can bring his World Cup winner's medal and give me that, I'll have that."
Holt mirrors the confidence Lambert has engendered in a squad which has striker James Vaughan and defender Elliott Ward back in training and within a week or so of returning after long injury lay-offs.
A cautious Lambert, however, is reticent to talk about how many points Norwich need to ensure Premier League football next season but four wins would see them hit 40 points, the usual benchmark for survival.
Lambert does not see them imploding like Blackpool last season.
He said: "Everybody thought we would be in the bottom three. What's happened has been great, but there is still a long way to go. I think we get more respect from teams now. The lads have got a lot of belief that they can win games and I trust them to do the job.
"Norwich ain't Blackpool. It could happen to us but you can't keep comparing Norwich to Blackpool."
