Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, the new Napoli player, made his first media statements after joining the Italian team, discussing the motivations behind his decision and his anticipated experience in Serie A.

De Bruyne said: "Napoli is a great place and certainly different from what I experienced in England, but it is very exciting, it was a good decision for me and I want to stay at the highest level."

He added: "We aspire to achieve good results in the new season, there are many teams with high quality, but our goal is to reach the highest possible position, now is the time to adapt, Serie A is a new experience for me and I need some time."

Regarding his relationship with his former team Manchester City, he clarified: "Manchester City will always remain in my heart, but I was looking for a new challenge and this project gave me the opportunity to continue at the highest levels, Napoli is a champion team and continues to invest, and I hope to contribute and learn as well."

He continued: "I contacted Romelu Lukaku and Dries Mertens, and they told me about the city and the team, but the decision was mine alone, I have known Romelu since we were thirteen and we played together for a short time at Chelsea, he helped me a lot in terms of translation and everything, and I am very excited."

About wearing the number 10 jersey, De Bruyne said: "I was surprised when I saw the number 10, I know that the number had been retired by the club and it was a nice gesture, I don't think it puts additional pressure, just playing for a club like Napoli that aims to win is enough pressure, Maradona is a legend, and I am grateful and proud and I will strive to please the city and the fans."

He also added about his new experience: "I wasn't used to being a free player without a contract, but now I am here and I believe I am ready to make the most of this experience and prove myself on the pitch."

Regarding coach Antonio Conte, he said: "I haven't talked much with Conte yet, we have only had two training sessions and we spoke a little on the field, I have known him since he was the coach of Chelsea and Tottenham in the Premier League, and he used to play with five defenders, which is a different style from the current one."

De Bruyne concluded his statements by talking about working with the coaching staff: "I know that Conte is a very tactical coach and I think I will learn a lot from him, so far we have trained only twice, but I see how he and the coaching staff work, I am taking this time to understand the working style and I believe I will be ready at the start of the season after 5 or 6 weeks."