NATHAN Ake believes he has returned to Chelsea a better player than when he left having spent six months on loan to Cherries.

The 21-year-old Dutchman joined Cherries in the summer and had been expected to remain at Vitality Stadium for the season.

But Ake was recalled early by his parent club and is expected to provide competition for Marcos Alonso at left wing-back.

Ake, who can also play in midfield and central defence, made 12 appearances for Cherries, scoring three goals, including a late winner in the dramatic 4-3 victory over Liverpool.

He says the experience can only serve him well as Antonio Conte's squad look to maintain their place at the top of the Premier League.

"Over the six months, I feel I have developed as a player, both on and off the pitch," said Ake, in an interview with the club website.

"To start with, I wasn't playing too much, but I dealt with that mentally, kept going and was happy when I got my chance.

"I was able to learn a lot from the manager. He spoke to me a lot about how I could improve and I picked up a lot of little ideas and different ways of thinking.

"Of course, the Liverpool game was the standout moment. It was a crazy game and to score the winning goal was an amazing feeling. It's something that I'll remember for a long time.

"That was not the only good memory. We also had some other good games where we kept clean sheets which were great and other games which I will remember for the wrong reasons!"