Daniel Sturridge, our teenage signing of the summer, has a clear reason for selecting a new club over Manchester City's potential for the next stage of his career.

The 19-year-old agreed a four-year deal with Chelsea last week having reached the end of his contract at City, and the decision was all about what his new employers could offer straight away.

'My motivation [for moving] was to play in the Champions League,' he explained at Cobham, midway between Thursday's two training sessions.

'I am a young player but I am very ambitious and I want to push myself to the highest level and play with the best players in the world. I believe that I can achieve big things here at Chelsea.

'But I am going to be very patient,' he qualifies, 'because I know there are world class players here and I am not going to get upset if I am not playing because it is very long season. There are going to be a lot of games and hopefully as the season goes on there are going to be opportunities so I can show the fans what abilities I have.

'I am not saying that Man City haven't got ambitions for the Champions League, or for any competition, but Chelsea is a fresh start for me and I believe that coming here will make me a better player.

'Man City is the past and Chelsea is the future for me.'

Sturridge will bring a youthful face to the squad's pool of centre-forwards, which, apart from occasional appearances by Franco Di Santo, was dominated last season by thirtysomethings Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

'I trained with Anelka when I was 15 at Man City,' the new arrival recalls. 'I looked up to him as a young boy and the same with Drogba. I saw him when he was playing in France and he has fantastic ability. They will both make me become better players.

'I will become a man working with the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Drogba and Anelka. They are going to push me on.

'Also the manager has dealt with big players in the past. He has had a lot of world class players at AC Milan - Kaká, Pato - and I believe he can make me achieve huge things.'

For an ambitious player who has junior international status, the huge achievements he targets have to included full international recognition.

'Any player playing for a big club will believe they can push themselves if they show what they are all about on the football field. They will believe they can push themselves to get into the England squad,' are Sturridge's current thoughts on the subject.

'I am a young player and hopefully by coming here I can get an opportunity to get into the full England squad.'