Marco Palestra has admitted the “need to improve” if he is to make a success of his move to Chelsea.

The Italian joined the Blues in the summer from Atalanta in a move worth around £45million, becoming the first new signing of the Xabi Alonso era at Stamford Bridge.

The versatile wing-back was out injured at the beginning of the season but finally made his first competitive start for the club in Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League victory over 10-man Manchester United.

There was criticism from some quarters of the Chelsea fanbase for the 21-year-old’s defensive positioning in the United game, but Palestra still managed to help the Blues to a rare league clean sheet at home - their first in a game they had also won since January.

Room for improvement: Marco Palestra struggled on his first Chelsea start against Manchester United

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Speaking via Chelsea’s official channels, Palestra was asked to describe his emotions back when he discovered in June that his move to Chelsea was going through.

“I was just happy because, when I was young, I never thought I could be a Chelsea player,” said the winner of last season’s Serie A Defender of the Year award.

“So the first emotion was only happiness. Now I am still happy, but I need to improve myself to win with this team.”

Palestra was also asked to recall a coach he had worked with who had given him important advice.

“When I was a bit older, like 16, our coach changed my position,” Palestra said. “His name is Marco Fioretto. He was the first one who moved me from midfield to out wide and he maybe changed my career.”

Palestra will be hoping to retain his place in Chelsea’s starting lineup when Alonso’s team face bottom club Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.