Eden Hazard is pleased with how he has settled in at Chelsea - on and off the field.
Chelsea man admits he was a little overawed when he first arrived
Eden Hazard is pleased with how he has settled in at Chelsea - on and off the field.
The Belgium international arrived at Stamford Bridge in a £32million deal from Lille this summer and has helped the Blues to three wins in their opening three games.
The 21-year-old has provided assists in each of those matches and scored his first goal for the club from the penalty spot at home to Newcastle on Saturday.
But Hazard is equally happy with the way he has dealt with the challenge of fitting in among all the experienced names at Chelsea.
"I've adapted very well to life in London. You're always a bit overawed when you arrive at a club with so many big names," he said, quoted in
The Sun.
"But then you tell yourself 'They are people like me with two arms and two legs'. Of course, I have respect for the players who are already here but it is down to me to tread my own path.
"I told myself it would be a new country, a new culture, a new language.
"But I had already changed countries when I went from Belgium to France, so I had made a similar step before.
"This is my third country and I came here to play football.
Laugh
"Like in every club, there's an initiation song. I sang a French rap song for them and made them laugh a lot, which is the main thing.
"Frank Lampard was laughing when I gave my first interview in English, so that must mean everyone was laughing. But it wasn't too bad for my first time speaking English.
"I managed to get two or three words out and you always get away with it when you smile.
"I'm lucky there are two or three Francophones in the squad - Petr Cech speaks French and obviously so does Florent Malouda."
Although the vast majority of people have been impressed by Hazard's impact, the player himself feels it could have been even better.
He could certainly have an extra goal to his name had he not unselfishly squared the ball to Branislav Ivanovic in the dying moments against Reading with the goal vacant. But Hazard is hoping the favour will be repaid.
Intensity
He added: "I think my debut against Wigan could have been worse. It was my first game in the Premier League with all the intensity that goes with it.
"Of course, I did some good things in the first 15 minutes but not all was perfect. I still have to adapt to the English game.
"The game goes a bit quicker here, the reaction times are maybe a bit shorter, the challenges are stronger and the fans live for football, which is what I needed to feel.
"My first match at home was even better than the Wigan game.
"I'd never been to Stamford Bridge before. so to discover this super atmosphere and get a win was a great day for me.
"On the fourth goal, the Reading keeper had come up so it's true I could have tried to score. But I saw Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres were free.
"So I told myself, 'It will be my turn in the next game'. Ivanovic is a really nice guy so I said 'You can have that one!'"
