Fernando Torres insists he never stopped believing in himself during his year from hell after scoring his first hat-trick for Chelsea.
Torres produced his best performance since his record-breaking STG50 million move to Stamford Bridge in the Blues’ 6-1 Barclays Premier League thrashing of QPR.
The 27-year-old, who had been in danger of being branded the most expensive flop in football history, claimed he never lost faith his hard work would pay off.
The treble on Sunday came less than five days after Torres scored in Chelsea’s sensational Champions League fightback at Barcelona and the former Liverpool striker told BBC Sport: “From my first day in English football, everything was really good and looking easy.
“I was scoring almost every day and things were very good.
“I have had one very difficult year here, going through a very difficult period of time, where things were not right.
“When you work hard – it’s the only thing you can do – the rewards have to come, and it’s time to enjoy now.”
Sunday’s hat-trick was the Spain star’s first since September 2009 and he added: “A long time ago was the last time, so I’m happy with that.
“Things are getting better.”
Torres has now scored seven goals since Roberto Di Matteo replaced the sacked Andre Villas-Boas eight weeks ago. He managed just five for the club before the Italian took charge.
Asked what had changed at the club, he said: “We understood that we needed to play as a team.
“We wanted to get away from the difficult situation we went through.
“It’s been a very difficult season for us. We changed the manager in the middle of the season.
“The beginning was not the best, so we needed to talk and we need to think that we could achieve good things.
“But we needed to be a team and I think that’s exactly what we are showing now.
“We did it in the Champions League, we are doing it in the league, we are in the FA Cup final, so it can be a great season.
“But still, we have to work, or it can be a very bad season as well.”
Torres will be desperate to start the two finals, as well as Wednesday’s crunch league clash with Newcastle.
He said: “Two finals and a massive game against Newcastle in three days.
“This is the main one and more important one right now. We need to win.
“We will be closer to reaching the top four and, of course, if we win this game, we will approach the game against Liverpool in the FA Cup final with more motivation.
“So, it can be a great week.”