Thursday 6 July 2017 15:41, UK
Nathan Ake is confident he will not allow the pressure of being Bournemouth's record signing affect him.
The south coast club paid Chelsea £20m for the defender last month, making him the most expensive purchase in their history.
Ake spent the first half of last season on loan at Bournemouth, making 12 appearances and scoring three goals before being recalled to Stamford Bridge in January, helping the Blues win the Premier League and reach the FA Cup final.
"Of course people will maybe look at me differently because the club have spent money on me but I always put pressure on myself anyway," he said.
"It feels the same, I put pressure on myself to play well and improve so it's no different really."
Following the completion of his loan at Bournemouth, Ake returned to Stamford Bridge but made just five appearances before his permanent transfer in June.
Ake, who has two international caps for the Netherlands, is not bitter about his lack of first-team opportunities in west London.
"Every footballer wants to play but I know it was going to be difficult to get in a winning team with world-class players," he said.
"When I played I felt I did okay, in training I developed a lot and felt myself growing with world-class players every day.
"I learnt a lot but of course I wanted to play."
