Friday 26 September 2014 14:06, UK
Southampton striker Graziano Pelle insists he already feels at home in the Premier League, and is out to silence those who doubted he could handle the step up from the Eredivisie.
The Italian striker arrived in England after an impressive two seasons in the Netherlands with Feyenoord, where the 29-year-old scored a goal every 0.88 games - a stat bettered by only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in Europe's top 10 competitions.
The sceptics claimed that the gulf in quality between the Eredivisie and the Premier League would be too great for Pelle, and he would struggle to hit the goal trail.
However, three goals in his opening five games is an impressive start to life in England, where Pelle insists he is enjoying playing.
"Here, football is paradise," Pelle told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Full stadia, people who support you from the first minute until the last, matches in which you never give up and there is much honesty on the pitch."
Pelle also admitted that he has heard numerous experts predicting that he will fail in England, but conceded he feels no added pressure.
"Some say that the goals I have scored in Holland haven't the same weight of those Italian, English, German or Spanish ones," Pelle added.
"But the net has always had the same dimensions, and should you fail to get the ball over the line, you don't score."
