Ruben Loftus-Cheek believes the benefits of his loan spell at Crystal Palace are now paying off for Chelsea.
The 22-year-old England midfielder spent last term on loan at Selhurst Park and is now developing into an integral member of Maurizio Sarri's Blues squad.
"After a season at Palace I felt I really matured, I got to see what the Premier League was like playing week-in, week out," Loftus-Cheek told Chelsea TV.
"At Palace we had to fight a lot. I really think I learned the way to fight and grind out games. After the World Cup I was ready to come back and fight for a place at Chelsea.
"The start of the season was difficult but I'm getting chances now and I'm just looking to do the best I can."
Loftus-Cheek played in a more advanced role in Chelsea's 1-0 EFL Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth on Wednesday night and thrived.
But after the introduction of Pedro and Eden Hazard, who scored the decisive goal six minutes from time, Loftus-Cheek dropped back into his more customary midfield position.
That versatility attracted praise from Chelsea assistant boss Gianfranco Zola.
"I was impressed with him," Zola said. "He's done very well as one of the strikers, wide players, but also he showed a lot of application and sacrifice when he played as a midfielder.
"He's gone a long way since the beginning of the season and improved in many ways. He's a good boy and works very hard on his game."
Loftus-Cheek has established himself as a viable option for Sarri on the right flank of Chelsea's 4-3-3, but still believes he has the most to offer in a central role.
"I see myself as a midfielder," he added. "That's where I want to be as I take my career forward. Right now I'm happy to play anywhere, right wing, left wing. I covered a lot of positions [against Bournemouth].
"I'm happy to do it wherever. And I'll give it my best. I think I'm effective if it's coming from deep or getting it higher up and making combinations and getting shots off."
Chelsea will play Tottenham in next month's semi-final. Premier League fixtures against Newcastle and Arsenal take place between the two legs, the second of which is at Stamford Bridge.
Loftus-Cheek is confident that Chelsea will be keen to make amends for the 3-1 league loss at Wembley last month, adding: "Bring it on."
The Blues denied Bournemouth a first EFL Cup semi-final appearance for a second successive year.
