Chelsea's record signing Damien Duff admitted it was "the hardest decision of his life" to leave Blackburn - his only senior club - for the bright lights of west London.
Duff and Wayne Bridge became the latest players to join the Roman Abramovich bank-rolled revolution when they both signed on the same day for £17 million sterling and £7 million respectively - taking the Russian billionaire's spending to £36.9 million in less than a fortnight.
"It was a hard decision because I love it up in Blackburn," he said. "I was very happy there. It is a wonderful club but I have been down here about three times this week and it feels nice down here and my gut feeling was to sign. I just can't wait to start playing football.
"It has been the hardest decision of my life, that is why it has taken all week. People think I was stalling over this and that but I am gutted to leave Blackburn - but it is a new beginning for me and I just couldn't turn down this challenge," Duff said.
"At the end of the day, it all came down to whether I wanted to go Chelsea or stay at Blackburn and I am gutted to leave Blackburn but Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in England and hopefully I can make them one of the biggest ones in the world".
Duff revealed he had spoken to manager Claudio Ranieri but the conversation had been "interesting" to say the least. "I didn't really understand a lot. He is just football mad, all he wants to do is talk about football. It is what he lives for," Duff added.
He also said he was confident he could adapt to life in the capital. "I am a bit of a country boy up there [in Blackburn]. I live out in the hills. I just live my football and go home to bed but it is a new challenge down here, it's a different life and I am ready for it".
Duff and Bridge will now fly out to Malaysia to join up with their new team-mates ahead of the Premier League Asia Cup.