Swansea City striker Joel Piroe insists he's unaware of any rumoured interest from Leicester City, but admits he has ambitions that he wants to play at the highest level possible after announcing himself to English football.
The Dutchman has understandably attracted plaudits for his superb run of goalscoring form for the Swans, having netted 11 goals since his summer arrival from PSV Eindhoven.
Given those exploits, links to the Premier League were perhaps inevitable, with Leicester recently mentioned in some corners of the internet as a possible suitor, although the man himself insists he's happy in SA1.
“No, I haven’t heard anything about that,” he told the Football League Paper when quizzed on the alleged interest form the Foxes.
“Of course, you always want to reach the top.
"As a professional player, that should be everyone’s ambition. But I just want to enjoy the moment I am in right now. Swansea is perfect for me because I am doing what I always wanted.
"I’ve settled really well in Swansea. The people here who work for the club, everybody around it. They have welcomed me really well and the same goes for the players. It has made it feel like home, even in such a short time. Even the weather is not too bad at the minute so I cannot complain.”
Piroe's frustrations at the lack of first-team opportunities at PSV played a big part in convincing him to move on this summer, and he admits that the chance to be Swansea's main man up front was a big factor in his decision to move to south Wales
Thinking back to his time with the Dutch giants, he said: "It feels like you are giving everything in training but, no matter what you give, you still keep waiting. When that happens, I think it is a good idea to search somewhere else for your opportunities.
“I understand that is how it goes at bigger clubs. But at the same time, I felt ready to play for PSV. So it was a bit of a struggle.
“I asked why. I got some explanations. But I think as a player – no matter what you do – it can be very hard to make someone think differently about you.
“When a manager or a coach has an opinion of you at the start of the season and makes a decision about you, it is very difficult to change it. Especially if you don’t play games.
“In the end, I thought it was the right time for me to go somewhere where I could play. Not just a bit, but a lot. When Swansea came in, I had a few chats with them and everything they said to me felt right."
Piroe's progress has coincided with a new regime under a new manager, and the Dutchman believes Russell Martin's brand of possession-based football has proved a big factor in his early success.
“I really like the style because you don’t just get the ball smashed at you," he said.
“You can come short, get it in better positions, better conditions. Most of the time, I’ve time to free myself from my man before I receive it. If he is close, I get a nice soft ball.
"It makes it much easier for a striker."
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