Craig Bellamy admits the chance to be reunited with Mark Hughes was always going to be too exciting to turn down having completed his move to Manchester City.
The striker's switch to Eastlands from West Ham for an undisclosed fee was sealed on Monday after Bellamy was convinced of the club's vision under Hughes.
Bellamy played arguably the best football of career when at Blackburn under Hughes and the 29-year-old, who also played for the City boss on the international stage, believes his fellow Welshman will once again get the best out of him.
"It (Hughes and his coaching team) was a big factor, because they are people that I have worked with since I was 18," Bellamy told the club's official website.
"They know me better than anybody-else in the football game, and they are people I completely trust in.
"They have progressed me massively, and I owe them a lot. The added bonus is that it's Manchester City and the way it is going at the moment with possibly one or two more players coming in over the top of me.
"I'm fortunate that this opportunity has come along, and I am grateful. I feel I am at my peak and I hope over the next few years to perform really well here."
Bellamy's signature is thought to have cost free-spending City in the region of £14million and the 29-year-old's signing is unlikely to the last in the January transfer window.
With talks ongoing with the likes of Kaka and Nigel de Jong, Bellamy admits he cannot be anything but excited by the direction the club is heading in.
"I think it is going to be incredible here over the next couple of years," he added.
"It's not just for me, you speak to anyone in the Premier League and they would want to come to Manchester City.
"It's rare for that to happen outside of the top four, but I think there are a lot of players who would like to come to this club. I've been given that opportunity, there are other players who would love it, and so it is up to me to make the most of it.
"This really is a club that in the next couple of years is going to be incredible. There are so many things happening here that are out of this world, for me to part of it was an offer that I just could not walk away from."
Despite the acrimonious end to his time at Upton Park, Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola sent him off with his blessings.
"I wish him all the best and I hope he does well and finds what he is looking for. I am very happy with what he has done for me and now he has decided to go somewhere else," he told the club's official website.
"We wanted to keep him but he wanted a new challenge and we respect that.
"For our fans, I can say again that we want to achieve a high level so we are looking for players that can help us make that happen."
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