EXCLUSIVE: The Danish centre-back is promising he will do all he can to earn trophies for his new side while admitting that it was not easy to leave Lille

By Robin Bairner

Simon Kjaer is looking forward to helping new side Fenerbahce challenge for titles over the course of his stay in Turkey.

The Denmark international signed a four-year deal with the Super Lig champions on Wednesday and is eager to get going with his new team after leaving Lille for a fee reportedly around the €7.5 million mark.

"It's a step up for me," he told Goal. "Of course I will look forward to playing in the league now.

"At 26 I really feel ready to play for a top club like Fenerbahce, where you both want to - and honestly must - win every game you play. It's a super-ambitious club with many top-class players.

"Fenerbahce is a gigantic club and more than anything I want to help winning the championships that the club and the fans deserve. I am here to win titles and I can't wait to get started. I want to help Fener get into the Champions League.

"I have been blown away with the passion of Fenerbahce's thousands of dedicated fans and the very warm welcome they have given me - both here in Istanbul and on Twitter."

The former Palermo and Roma centre-back admitted that he was leaving Lille with something of a heavy heart, however.

"I had two fantastic years in LOSC and in the city of Lille. In 2013-14 we achieved a great result finishing third in Ligue 1, and from a defender's point of view we were enjoying an amazing amount of clean sheets.

"The club, my team-mates and the supporters have been so great and I will miss it all but it's simply the right time to move on in my career. LOSC is a special club and will always have a place in my heart."

Kjaer's new side finished second in the Super Lig last term and will go into the third qualifying round for the Champions League, where familiar foes Monaco are a potential opponent.