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LONDON - Germany captain Michael Ballack has pledged his future to Chelsea and is determined to make amends for a disappointing debut campaign in England.
Dismissing rumours linking him with Real Madrid on Monday, midfielder Ballack said: "I came here to win trophies and be successful in English
football."
Ballack is just one of a number of top players with plenty to prove in the coming season. Reuters runs the rule over 10 other Premier League players who will fall under the spotlight as the 2007/08 campaign kicks off:
* Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea)
The Ukraine striker arrived in London from AC Milan with a big reputation - and a salary to match - but did little to justify either, his three goals in 30 league outings (the last in November) hardly endearing him to manager Jose Mourinho.
The 30-year-old will be out to show he has learned from last term's lessons but sitting out the Community Shield with a back injury was not the best start.
* Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Embarks on his Premier League career carrying the twin tags of Liverpool's record 36.0 million euros (24 million pounds) signing and the most expensive Spanish player ever. Rafael Benitez is looking to the former Atletico Madrid striker to spearhead a long-overdue challenge for the title but whether Torres can transfer his undoubted quality onto the English stage - and with the required consistency - could be telling both for Liverpool's prospects and Benitez's reputation.
* Craig Bellamy (West Ham United)
It says everything about Bellamy that the defining moment of his Liverpool career was not a goal in the Champions League win at Barcelona but rather a drunken altercation with John Arne Riise several nights earlier. The Welshman - who stayed just a season at both Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers - has promised West Ham will "see the best of me" but whether he can stick around long enough to fulfil that pledge remains to be seen.
* Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa)
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will hope to see the dynamic box-to-box midfielder who shone in West Ham's run to the 2006 FA Cup final, rather than the Reo-Coker whose form dipped last term amid accusations from some Hammers fans of an over-inflated ego. Villa's new boy impressed his boss in the friendly win over Inter Milan but he must now do it week in, week out.
* Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur)
Eyebrows were raised when Tottenham Hotspur spent 16.5 million pounds on Charlton Athletic striker Darren Bent. Yet there is no doubting Bent's ability - 31 goals in the last two Premier League seasons - and his transfer is a bold statement of intent from both a club aiming to break into the top four and a player keen to establish himself in the England squad.
* Jason Koumas (Wigan Athletic)
Wales playmaker Koumas made little impact on the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion in 2004/05, yet a loan spell at Cardiff City restored his confidence and he shone as West Brom went close to promotion last season. Now Koumas has a second chance in the top flight with Wigan. Manager Chris Hutchings was willing to take a gamble on the 27-year-old whose success at the JJB Stadium will go a long way to determining whether Wigan survive.
* David Healy (Fulham)
Healy's goalscoring exploits for Northern Ireland contrast markedly with his club career. He scored nine times in six Euro 2008 qualifers yet managed just one goal more in an entire season of second-division football for relegated Leeds United. It will be intriguing to see if his former Northern Irish boss Lawrie Sanchez can get the best out of him once more at Fulham.
* Michael Chopra (Sunderland)
Some Sunderland supporters were less than enthused by the 5.0 million pounds signing of Michael Chopra, the forward having scored just once in four years for bitter rivals Newcastle United. However, after netting 22 times for Cardiff last term, manager Roy Keane is hoping the 23-year-old can finally blossom in the big league.
* Joey Barton (Newcastle United)
Barton's footballing ability is matched, unfortunately, by his capacity to cause trouble. Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is famed for his handling of difficult personalities but the midfielder's hopes of a fresh start have already been undermined by a metatarsal injury and an impending date in court to answer charges of an alleged assault on former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo.
* Eduardo Da Silva (Arsenal)
Filling Thierry Henry's boots is the task facing Croatia striker Eduardo Da Silva. Manager Arsene Wenger turned to the 24-year-old Brazilian-born attacker to replace Henry and a winning goal against Lazio on his first appearance after receiving a work permit was not a bad start. He has an impressive scoring record - seven in 12 for Croatia and 34 in 32 for Dinamo Zagreb last season - but he may need time to adjust to the demands of the Premier League.
- REUTERS
