Cameroon attacker is playing in England for the first time.
Recent new Chelsea signing Samuel Eto’o has admitted that he has been surprised by the physical nature of the Premier League since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, according to reports in the Daily Mirror.
The experienced Cameroon international joined the west London club on a one-year deal for an undisclosed fee from big-spending Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala in August.
However, in his first two months with the Blues, Eto’o has struggled for form in front of goal, with the 32-year-old having so far failed to find the back of the net in any of his five matches in all competitions for the club, including three outings to date in the Premier League.
And that is because the extreme physicality of the English top flight has caught the striker by surprise, with Eto’o telling Chelsea Magazine: “Already I have noticed that English football is very physical – more physical than other types of football.
“It hasn’t been too much time yet, so I need to continue working to make sure I keep improving my level.
“Every game here is important and I realise that – I have come here to enjoy playing for Chelsea and to enjoy the football.
“I go into every game with the same approach.
“It doesn’t matter where you put me, I will play football.
“My team-mates are helping me a lot and also the coaches, so I feel that I am settling into the team.”
Eto’o has played for a number of big-name clubs throughout the Continent during his glittering and illustrious 16-year playing career, including for the likes of Real Madrid, Espanyol, Real Mallorca and FC Barcelona in La Liga, and Inter Milan in Serie A.
However, the forward’s recent move to Chelsea is the very first time that he has ever played in the English Premier League during that time.