Papy Djilobodji admits he is taking time to adjust to the English Premier League.

The 27-year-old Senegalese centre-back joined the Black Cats for £8million from Chelsea in the summer following a failed stint with the Blues which prompted a loan to German side Werder Bremen for the second half of last season.

Djilobodji previously played in France with Nantes and believes the Premier League has been harder to adapt to than Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga.

"It's a lot more testing than I had expected or known, especially from having played in France or Germany," he told the Sunderland Echo.

"It's the first time I've spent any time playing in England, and I do feel that the game is different here.

"As a defender, you need a lot more fighting qualities and a lot more concentration. You also need discipline in the way you defend.

"I'll try to work on all these things to be able to succeed in the Premier League.

"It will help me as a player to be working in the Premier League, and I'll do everything in order to adapt and be able to win games."