Kai Havertz hopes to repay the trust of Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea in the absence of Romelu Lukaku, while the Germany international cannot wait to learn from Raheem Sterling.
Tuchel has previously used Havertz as a false nine to lead the Blues line, with Lukaku either injured or unselected, but the striker scored just eight times in 29 Premier League appearances last season.
With Lukaku returning to Inter on loan, Tuchel ruling out a move for Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski joining Barcelona, Havertz will likely be tasked with the role up top once more.
Though the former Bayer Leverkusen star acknowledged he did not expect the positional switch, Havertz is aiming to make the role his own and give Tuchel reason to have faith in him.
"I've played a lot of positions over the years but last season I played a lot as a number nine and it's a position I like very much," he told reporters.
"If I look back four years ago, I could never have imagined playing there. But the last two years I've played it more often and I like the position.
"It's still good that I am flexible and can play different positions up front, but I am there to score goals and make assists and as a number nine you have to do that and link up with players.
"Consistency in football is a very big word; we play every three days and we have to always keep the level high. It's also the case for me to be consistent in every match and to score as many goals as I can.
"Sometimes, it's normal that for one game you drop the level. It's not always possible to score five goals in every game. Consistency for me is a big point and I try to work on that.
"I need to get that confidence from the coach, I need the trust of the coach. Sometimes also in the bad times too. He has always given that trust to me in the last couple of years.
"It is always good for a striker, and me as well, [to know that]. I'm still young. If you are playing and on the pitch, you always have to take the responsibility.
"I will definitely try to play again as much as I can this season. Hopefully, it is going to be a better year than last year."
If Havertz wants to improve his goalscoring ability and finishing, he has to look no further for advice than from Sterling, who joined from Manchester CIty on a five-year deal last week.
Since Pep Guardiola became City coach in 2016, Sterling has scored 27 Premier League goals from inside the six-yard box, which is five more than anyone else (Harry Kane, 22).
The England international averaged almost a goal every other game (one every 179 minutes) in the Premier League under Guardiola, with his haul of 85 bettered by only five players since the start of the 2016-17 season.
"We all know that he is a great player," Havertz said of Sterling. "I saw a stat about him that he has had the most goals and assists for Man City in the last five years or something like that. That tells the whole story of him.
"He was a great player for City and the national team as well, hopefully, he can keep up his level here. For me and of course, for everyone, he is going to help.
"I think in every game you can see that. I know the game against England at the Euros, he played well. You can see his quality here already and it's been just a few days.
"You can see in training how good he is, how fast he is. He is definitely going to help us."
Kalidou Koulibaly has also joined Chelsea as the second signing of the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital era at Stamford Bridge, and Havertz is delighted to have new ownership after a turbulent last season.
"It was a crazy time for all of us," Havertz said, referencing former owner Roman Abramovich's sanctions. "There were then a lot of changes in the club which was strange for all of us, but we came through it.
"I think it helps that in the team we all get to know each other and also in different or difficult situations that everyone is together so I think it helped us as well.
"I think we are a special group. We see that in the changing room away from the pitch and on the pitch. We have a lot of young players who are maybe the same age.
"We have a lot of experienced players and I think we all fit together very well. You see it off the pitch that it is hopefully going to be a special year for us."
'We weren't efficient' - Marquinhos bemoans PSG profligacy after Champions League exit
Marquinhos believes Paris Saint-Germain paid for their profligacy after suffering Champions League semi-final heartbreak against Borussia Dortmund.
Mats Hummels' second-half header from a Julian Brandt corner - the only goal at Parc des Princes - wrapped up a 2-0 aggregate victory for the Bundesliga side, who advanced to their third final and first since 2013.
Meanwhile, PSG's wait to land the elusive European crown goes on, despite a whopping 44 shots across the two legs, while they also struck the woodwork on six occasions - their overall tally of 14 the most recorded by a team during a single campaign.
Indeed, Luis Enrique's side failed to find the net in a home match for the first time since their 0-0 draw with Lorient in their first Ligue 1 match of the season, as their hopes of completing the treble vanished for another year.
"We lacked efficiency," Marquinhos told Canal+. "They scored two goals from corners and a through ball that we had worked on. We had to defend better. These are small details.
"We created chances, a lot more than them. We weren't efficient. They were efficient, they scored two goals and won both matches."
But despite the disappointment, the PSG skipper urged his team-mates to focus on the positives from their run to the semi-finals.
They recovered from a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Newcastle United to finish second behind Dortmund in Group F, before overturning a 4-2 aggregate deficit to deny Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
"There are a lot of things to take away from this competition," Marquinhos added. "At the beginning of the season, no one believed that we would get this far. We've overcome a lot of obstacles, we shouldn't throw everything away now just because we're eliminated.
"You have to remember that it's a new team, with a new coach. There are some positives to bring back for next season. We wanted to go to Wembley for the fans and our families.
"You have to stay calm after the elimination. It's very hard. We've come very close. We had to win tonight and be more efficient."
Tuchel wants Bayern to discover their 'inner child' against Real Madrid
Thomas Tuchel wants his Bayern Munich side to rediscover their inner child when they take on Real Madrid on Wednesday.
After last week's 2-2 draw in Munich, Bayern will have to beat Madrid in their own back yard if they are to reach the Champions League final at Wembley.
With Bayer Leverkusen ending Bayern's 11-year Bundesliga dominance by securing the league title last month, the six-time European Cup winners have only one trophy left to fight for this season.
Tuchel spent several minutes talking to his players in an empty Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday and said that he told them they needed to find extra motivation within themselves.
"It is important to connect with your own inner child. When we were little we played these games in the garden. So now we are here and that's our chance to make it true," he told reporters.
"I think both teams have to endure defending and suffering when their opponents have the ball. It is extremely difficult to steal the ball from Real Madrid. Both teams are very, very strong in the transition game. It gets very complex. You need luck and precision. Then everything is possible at this stage."
Bayern were undone by Vinicius Junior's double in the first leg, with the Brazil forward scoring either side of efforts from Leroy Sane and Harry Kane.
However, Opta's win predictor has Madrid as 48.5 per cent favourites to claim the victory they need to progress.
Madrid, the record 14-time European champions, have an aura in the competition, but Tuchel said the Spaniards' record holds no fear for his side.
"Bayern are also one of the most successful and dominant clubs in the world and we have an obligation to do our best when we step on the pitch tomorrow," he said.
"You don't talk about myths, that would make it harder for us. It is already one of the toughest stadiums to win but not impossible. We are not here to enjoy the moment."
Bayern reached the Champions League's last four for the first time since winning the competition in 2020, while Madrid last lifted the trophy in 2022 with an amazing run of comeback wins at home to reach the final.
Carlo Ancelotti's team are bidding to win their sixth Champions League title in 10 years, having clinched a record-extending 36th LaLiga crown on Saturday.
The Bavarians, however, have endured a disappointing domestic run and Tuchel will exit at the end of the season.
"Real Madrid are an amazing team but we need to be confident in ourselves and help each other, we can't be stuck or afraid. We need to make something positive from the pressure," Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
"Against a team like Real Madrid, it's the little things that matter. Nobody wants to make a mistake because both teams have very good offensive power."
'Courtois needs time' - Ancelotti hints Madrid keeper could miss Bayern clash despite return from injury
Carlo Ancelotti believes Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich may come too soon for Thibaut Courtois following his recent return from injury.
The Belgium goalkeeper has missed the entire season due to a knee ligament injury, and required a further operation following a setback in March.
Courtois, who has been ruled out of Euro 2024 by Red Devils head coach Domenico Tedesco, made his first appearance of the campaign against Cadiz on Saturday, with the 31-year-old keeping a clean sheet in Madrid's 3-0 victory.
While he has been named in Madrid's matchday squad for the visit of Bayern, with whom they are locked at 2-2 in their gripping last-four tie, Ancelotti hinted he is likely to restore Andriy Lunin between the sticks.
"After such a big injury, you can’t change the plan because of a great performance," the Italian said during his pre-match press conference.
"Courtois needs time now to get to his best. He had a great game, with security and confidence, against Cadiz, but he has to get to his best."
Ancelotti also played down speculation of a rift between Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, after the England team-mates appeared to exchange words as the Bayern striker prepared to take a penalty during last week's first leg.
"Jude is a fantastic guy, he respects everybody, and he has a great relationship with Harry Kane," the Madrid head coach added. "There are no problems."
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