Chelsea Could Have Done More to Keep Me, Says Robben

A beaming Arjen Robben was finally presented before 3,000 cheering fans at Real Madrid last night, basking in the warmth he alleges was denied to him during his time at Chelsea.

The 23-year-old winger completed his €36m (£24.5m) move to Spain after a month's speculation and tense negotiation between the two clubs before revealing that he had been waiting impatiently for the deal to go through since the very first day of summer.

He also admitted that he could have stayed with the FA Cup winners in London, had they made him feel more wanted.

"For me it was a big relief when the final word came that I could join Real Madrid. It has been a really difficult time. I've been waiting to be able to come to Madrid since the first day back at training with Chelsea," Robben said. "There have been times when I thought I would be joining Real Madrid the next day but it wasn't to be. It has taken a very long time but I'm glad to be here at last.

"I know that it is a lot of money but it just shows the interest that Real had in signing me. They gave me a lot of confidence and showed over the last few weeks that they were willing to do anything to get me here."

The contrast with Chelsea could hardly be sharper, where negotiations over a new contract stalled. It was this breakdown that Robben's agent and father, Hans, considered little more than an invitation for the player to leave. Robben also endured a difficult relationship with the Stamford Bridge manager, Jose Mourinho. And, asked if Chelsea could have persuaded him to stay had they done more to keep him, Robben replied: "In the early stages, yes, they could have done more. But after a while, I felt I wasn't getting the confidence I needed - and then I started to change my mind about being at Chelsea.

"When a massive club like Madrid show an interest and make you feel great, that makes things easy. You compare the feeling of confidence coming from Chelsea and from Real and you go where you think you will be most happy. That is what I did."

Robben, who played just 51 times in his injury-riddled three years at Stamford Bridge, said he hoped his move to Madrid would prove a new start away from the treatment table.

"What I can say about Chelsea is that I had three nice years there. It was a great experience and we won every prize you can win in England," the Dutch winger said. "But I had too many injuries and that meant I couldn't make the impact I wanted. Hopefully, I won't get injured again. I want to stay out of that terrible room for a long time."

Robben was presented alongside another Premier League player, the Argentinian international Gabriel Heinze, who joined for €12m after his proposed move to Liverpool collapsed when a Premier League panel ruled against him. But despite having publicly admitted his desire to be the first player in 64 years to leave Old Trafford for Anfield, and taken legal action against Manchester United, Heinze insisted that he has not departed as a villain.

"I don't think I left Manchester United under a cloud; I left as a league champion," Heinze said. "As for Alex Ferguson, I don't know if he is angry - you would have to ask him. Manchester United fans are not stupid. They will not forget everything I did for the club and everything we won together, so I am not worried about their reaction. The fans know how I feel and what I am like. I never said anything against them. I only did what I felt and what I thought would bring about a solution that in the end was not to be. I never thought that Real Madrid would be my final destination, not at all."

Real summer signings

Arjen Robben Chelsea £24.5m

Gabriel Heinze Man Utd £8.1m

Pepe Porto £20.4m

Royston Drenthe F'noord £9.5m

Wesley Sneijder Ajax £18.3m

Javier Saviola Barcelona free

Jerzy Dudek Liverpool free

Christoph Metzelder Borussia Dortmund free

Total £80.8m

Loan returnees

Roberto Song Osasuna

Julio Baptista Arsenal