Chelsea attacking midfielder Willian has admitted that he has had to improve quickly as a player in order to keep up with the pace of the Premier League.

Willian said that he wants to continue to impress in order to ensure that he becomes a regular part of manager Jose Mourinho's starting lineup.

"English football is very different from anything I've experienced before," he told the club's official website. "It's really competitive, and really fast. I used to watch it on TV but you just don't have the same idea as when you actually play in it. I can feel the difference now. In my opinion it is the best league in the world.

"My aim is to keep improving every game I play so I can develop my game further here. I feel really happy to have been able to start so many games and to earn my place in the team, and to find my place with the other players, the manager and the technical coaches. I will try to work even harder so I can continue enjoying it as much as I have been doing."

Willian joined Chelsea from Anzhi Makhachkala last summer, having only joined them the same January.