Pavel Pogrebnyak has revealed that he has been taken aback by the physical nature of the Premier League.
The Russian international striker has been a revelation since his arrival from Stuttgart.
He said: “In England there are the strongest players in the world.”
“There is a lot of fighting for the ball in the air. For the first 10 or 15 minutes of my debut against Stoke, I didn’t know where I was.
“The ball flew back and forth through the air. Then it became clear that this was the English Premier League, which can’t be mistaken with anything.
“All the defenders are strong, tall and good in the air. In general, I still have to adapt.
“I feel the championship is more intense than the Bundesliga. It’s faster, which is largely down to the referee. In England they let you play – referees hardly ever whistle for minor fouls.”