Ruben Loftus-Cheek believes the benefits of his loan spell at Crystal Palace are now paying off for Chelsea.
The 22-year-old England midfielder spent last term on loan at Selhurst Park and is now developing into an integral member of Maurizio Sarri’s Blues squad.
“After a season at Palace I felt I really matured, I got to see what the Premier League was like playing week-in, week out,” Loftus-Cheek told Chelsea TV.
“At Palace we had to fight a lot. I really think I learned the way to fight and grind out games.
“After the World Cup I was ready to come back and fight for a place at Chelsea.
“The start of the season was difficult but I’m getting chances now and I’m just looking to do the best I can.”
Loftus-Cheek played in a more advanced role in Chelsea’s 1-0 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth on Wednesday night and thrived.
But after the introduction of Pedro and Eden Hazard, who scored the decisive goal six minutes from time, Loftus-Cheek dropped back into his more customary midfield position.
That versatility attracted praise from Chelsea assistant boss Gianfranco Zola.
Zola said: “I was impressed with him. He’s done very well as one of the strikers, wide players, but also he showed a lot of application and sacrifice when he played as a midfielder.
“He’s gone a long way since the beginning of the season and improved in many ways. He’s a good boy and works very hard on his game.”
Loftus-Cheek’s preference is to play in midfield.
He said: “I see myself as a midfielder. That’s where I want to be as I take my career forward. Right now I’m happy to play anywhere, right wing, left wing. I covered a lot of positions (against Bournemouth).
“I’m happy to do it wherever. And I’ll give it my best. I think I’m effective if it’s coming from deep or getting it higher up and making combinations and getting shots off.”
Chelsea will play Tottenham in next month’s semi-final. Premier League fixtures against Newcastle and Arsenal take place between the two legs, the second of which is at Stamford Bridge.