Ben Haim joined Mark Hughes' side this summer after just a year at Chelsea and at 26, the defender insists he is in the prime of his footballing life.

Although he struggled to establish himself in the Blues' first XI after signing on a free transfer from Bolton, he also believes experiencing life at a top-four outfit was beneficial to his growth as a player.

"I have been playing in England for the last four years and I think that every year I have improved including the last 12 months at Chelsea," he told the club's website, mcfc.co.uk.

"There is always the desire to keep on improving; all professionals think that way. You have to keep learning and getting better and I am sure I will do that. My best years are still ahead of me.

"I played 22 times for Chelsea, which wasn't bad given the rotation there and the size of the squad, obviously though I am looking forward to playing more at City.

"I am not taking anything for granted because there are good defenders here like Micah Richards and Richard Dunne, but I do not see why we cannot all play together and be fantastic for the club."

The Israel international also insisted he was well on the way to full match fitness, despite having only been involved in one pre-season friendly so far - Saturday's 2-2 draw at Stockport.

"In terms of my fitness, the game at Stockport was my first for this season, but I felt not too bad and hopefully I will get another outing at Celtic Park.

"I worked very hard before I even reported back to Stamford Bridge for training. I hired a personal trainer in Israel and did plenty of running on the beach and gym work and I think I am in good shape. It is just matches I will need."