Gary Cahill admits working with Roy Hodgson was a big factor in his move to Crystal Palace.
The former Chelsea star is reunited with Hodgson – who made him captain for England against Estonia in 2015 – after joining the Eagles on a free in August.
Cahill says he turned down interest from other clubs – reportedly Arsenal and Fulham – because he felt he could make a bigger impact at Selhurst Park.
“My thought process behind going to Palace was I’d worked with Roy and Ray [Lewington] before,” he said to the Daily Mail.
“I knew them very well, and it’s a solid club. It’s been in the Premier League for seven years. You have to ask yourself: why are you moving?
“You’re moving to play regularly but you’re also moving because you want to have an impact. I saw this as an opportunity to do that.”
The 34-year-old says says playing under top managers such as Hodgson, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte during his glorious career has made him a better defender.
“I’ve tried to take the good and bad,” he said. “Roy comes into his element when we go on the tactical side. Every manager has a different outlook on how he wants to defend.
“Look at Conte and his back three. I’ve always been taught ‘stay goal-side, stay goal-side, stay goal-side’. But Conte wanted you to screen in front. There are different elements to defending. Roy is the same.”