Michy Batshuayi has said he has been frustrated by a relative lack of opportunities at Chelsea this season, but added he has "made a lot of progress" in all areas during his first year at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea confirmed themselves as Premier League champions by beating West Brom 1-0 at The Hawthorns on Friday with Batshuayi coming off the bench to poke in the winning goal. He was rewarded with a first Premier League start of the campaign in Monday's 4-3 win over Watford, and found the net again.
The presence of Diego Costa has kept Batshuayi on the periphery since his £33 million arrival from Marseille last summer, but after Monday's game at Stamford Bridge the Belgium international said that there have been plenty of positives to his experience at Chelsea this season.
"There were a lot of frustrations, but this is a big club, with a lot of good players," Batshuayi said. "I need to understand it a bit too. I'm a bit younger than some of the other guys. I can only keep on working hard. We have a very good squad, with lots of good players. Lovely and humble lads too.
"Chelsea feels like a big family. When you can work in those conditions, day in, day out. That's magnificent. Of course there were frustrations because I didn't play a lot.
"So enjoying myself with the teammates wasn't always that simple. But I also understood that I had some to work to do. But I'm happy. My teammates have always been supporting me. They encouraged me to grab my chance and advised me not to let my head down. They are happy for me now. That's very positive.
"Of course this is a lesson for me, a period that's been very hard for me, but I've also learned a lot. I've made a lot of progress. As a man, mentally, but also physically. And tactically too. That's a given with a manager like Antonio Conte. He likes you to work, work, work. Every day."
Costa is widely expected to leave Chelsea this summer, with Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian reportedly ready to return with the lucrative offer they first made for the Spain international in January. Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata have been tipped to be potential replacements.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is also likely to leave Stamford Bridge on loan, having been restricted to just six substitute appearances in the Premier League this season.
The 21-year-old missed out on Monday's win over Watford due to a back injury, and Antonio Conte afterwards admitted that Chelsea will "have to take the best decision for him for next season".