Djibril Cisse hopes his move to Queens Park Rangers will boost his chances of featuring for France at Euro 2012.
QPR new boy targeting euro finals
Djibril Cisse hopes his move to Queens Park Rangers will boost his chances of featuring for France at Euro 2012.
Former Liverpool and Sunderland striker Cisse sealed his move to QPR from Lazio on transfer deadline day.
Cisse admits he decided to leave Lazio after becoming frustrated at not being allowed to play in his preferred striker role.
The 30-year-old is now relishing a third crack at the Premier League and he believes he will settle quickly at Loftus Road.
"It was the chance for me to join back Premier League. I seized the opportunity," Cisse told
L'Equipe.
"I was not very often in the Lazio team anymore. This season so far, I assisted eight times, but it hurt me to not score anymore.
"I didn't play in the centre anymore, but on the right or the left, when I was not on the bench. I had never experienced that before.
"I have been honest with Lazio officials. They understood it was in no one's interest to keep me. But at first I really wanted to stay."
Unhappy
Cisse believes he may have missed out on this summer's Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine if he had stayed in the Italian capital.
"2012 Euro? Indeed I left notably for that," admitted Cisse. "But I was not happy anymore in Rome.
"I sulked on and out of the pitch. I was in a filthy mood. Football is my life and I absolutely need to be on the pitch.
"QPR being in 16th ranking? Wherever I play, the most important for Euro 2012 is what I will achieve on the pitch.
"If I am good and score 10 or 12 goals before the end of the season, it could make people think about.
Convinced
Cisse revealed he did not take much convincing from Rangers boss Mark Hughes to make the move to QPR and he is looking forward to teaming up again with a few old friends.
"Mark Hughes didn't need to tell me a lot, considering the patience he showed to sign me," continued Cisse.
"At QPR I am joining known land. I will join again Taye Taiwo I knew at l'OM, Anton Ferdinand my team-mate at Sunderland and Shaun Wright-Phillips a good friend who was at my wedding.
"I believe I will be happy here."
