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Yuri Zhirkov Settling In At Chelsea
Russian beginning to get to grips with life in London…
17-Dec-2009 6:13:35 PM
Chelsea left-back Yuri Zhirkov has revealed that he is adjusting to life at Stamford Bridge after his summer move from CSKA Moscow.
The Russian international is learning English slowly, with help from team-mate Branislav Ivanovic, and feels much more at home in London now after battling against injury for much of the season so far.
"I am extremely happy. After the transfer there was an injury so I am very happy now to be able to play," Zhirkov told the Blues' official website.
"For about one month I was out of training and it was hard psychologically. It wasn't fun.
"I haven't done anything special so far in the games so I cannot say I am very happy with that yet. When I was playing in CSKA I was playing left-back, but probably going forward a lot more than here – it is very different here.
"Training is different from what it was in Russia. It is more hard work here but I am getting used to it in England," he explained.
"Moving to a more difficult championship and establishing yourself there is the next step."
And the Russian also paid tribute to Serbian team-mate Ivanovic, whose time in Russia has meant that he has been able to help Zhirkov settle in.
The two men had previously played against each other when the Serb was at Lokomotiv Moscow.
The Russian international is learning English slowly, with help from team-mate Branislav Ivanovic, and feels much more at home in London now after battling against injury for much of the season so far.
"I am extremely happy. After the transfer there was an injury so I am very happy now to be able to play," Zhirkov told the Blues' official website.
"For about one month I was out of training and it was hard psychologically. It wasn't fun.
"I haven't done anything special so far in the games so I cannot say I am very happy with that yet. When I was playing in CSKA I was playing left-back, but probably going forward a lot more than here – it is very different here.
"It doesn't really matter to me, I am happy to play, and can comfortably play in either defence or midfield."
Zhirkov is also comfortable with increased intensity of the football in England, thriving on the challenge.
"Matches too are very different, both in the way the game is played and the way it is followed. The level of football in England is absolutely fantastic, and that is the real difference. There are players from all over the world that can end up in England.
"It is not every day that you receive an offer from a club like Chelsea. Even to train with Chelsea is better and more rewarding than to play against some other teams in Russia.
"It is every player's ambition to win the most difficult championships. In Russia we won the championship twice and all the available cups, so everything that could be won was won."Moving to a more difficult championship and establishing yourself there is the next step."
And the Russian also paid tribute to Serbian team-mate Ivanovic, whose time in Russia has meant that he has been able to help Zhirkov settle in.
The two men had previously played against each other when the Serb was at Lokomotiv Moscow.
"He was there for two seasons and I played against him a few times, directly against him as he was right-back and I was on the left," Zhrkov recalled. "He is a hard opponent, very difficult to play against, but CSKA always won! He tackled me hard a few times, it can hurt, it is always difficult to play against guys of his level.
"Since I've been at Chelsea I have spent time with Ivanovic, and Nemanja Matic came later.
"I am also friendly with all the Russian players, [Andrey] Arshavin, [Roman] Pavlyuchenko, and [Diniyar] Bilyaletdinov that are in England. We do not meet up very regularly but we have done a few times.
"Not speaking English wasn't an obstacle to get to know other players. When I arrived I had help from Ivanovic and Andriy Shevchenko to help me settle."
Zack Wilson, Goal.com UK
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