Fernando Torres says the chance to play for a 'top level club' was his primary motivation behind his move from Liverpool to Chelsea.
Shake on it: Ron Gourlay (left) , the Chelsea chief executive, welcomes Fernando Torres Photo: GETTY IMAGES
Torres suggested that Chelsea are a bigger club than Liverpool, saying that his £50m move to Stamford Bridge meant that he was now playing for a "top level club."
The £45-million signing said: "The target for every footballer is to play at one of the top level clubs in the world, and I can do that now, so I am very very happy.
"Chelsea are the kind of tem which I like to play against because they motivate me, but they're also the kind of team I want to play for, because they're one of the biggest teams in Europe and they're always fighting for everything."
"I just want to be at the level that I'm supposed to stay at. It's a great club, and everyone is expecting good things out of me. I am prepared and ready for the challenge."
Torres admitted that it had not been an easy decision to leave Anfield, but that that his move south represented a major deveolpment in his career. "It's been three or four very hard days for me, thinking about everything I'm leaving in Liverpool," said Torres.
"But I can now say I'm a Chelsea player and I'm really happy. I'm sure I'm taking one of the biggest steps in my career."
Torres is expected to make his home debut for Chelsea this Sunday when Liverpool are the visitors to Stamford Bridge.
