Everton defender Phil Jagielka has admitted he initially had doubts over whether he would make the grade at Goodison Park.
Jagielka made a £4million move to Merseyside in the summer of 2007 from Sheffield United and has since become an integral member of David Moyes' side.
He also earned international recognition over the summer and earned his first England cap after coming off the bench in the friendly against Trinidad & Tobago.
But the former Blades player revealed that it took him time to find his feet with Everton and it was the influence of manager Moyes and his team-mates which helped him adjust.
Jagielka told the Daily Mail: "Confidence plays a massive part. When I first joined Everton, I wasn't sure if I should or shouldn't be here.
"But now I believe I should be here. Thanks to the manager and his own experience as a centre-half and the players I have around me, I think I've moved up a notch or two in every department.
"I'm a better defender in every department than the one who came here.
"I was happy with where I was at Sheffield United. I went there at 16 as a trainee and I had a great time but I might not have been under enough pressure. I might not have developed as fast as I perhaps could have."
Everton are again in the upper reaches of the Premier League table and Jagielka believes they owe much of their success to the strong work ethic and team spirit established under Moyes.
He added: "There's a real collective spirit here. There's not one superstar, not someone who earns a load more than everyone else and only trains when he fancies it.
"If someone's not on it in a game or in training, they either get kicked or they get shouted at. It's all about hard work. It's what the manager believes in and the players believe in it, too.
"And we're confident. We're not arrogant but we are excited when we come up against an Arsenal, a Liverpool or a Manchester United. We know we've developed into a decent team."
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