Nathan Ake says swapping Chelsea for Bournemouth was the right decision for his career.

Ake believes his current improvement has come because he has stopped trying too hard to prove he was right to quit his former club.

He told the Mirror: “I feel more relaxed going into games now." Last year was more about proving to myself and everyone that I could do well. That I could improve and play.

"This year I'm a little bit more mature. Also this year I am trying to implement the leadership in my game. Especially the last few games now.

“Steve Cook is out, Simon Francis has been out. So I try and bring a different kind of thing to my game to help others and to make sure that the team is doing well. That's something I'm learning this season.

“When I left Chelsea a lot of people were asking questions. They wanted to know why but the main reason was to play games and to improve my game.

“Obviously you want to show yourself that you can do it. That you can play in the Premier League. Maybe unconsciously you want to do too much and show too much. But last season was a good season personally.

“I think I still have a lot of things to improve but I think this season I feel more mature."