Gylfi Sigurdsson is back for another shot at the big time... insisting he's far better equipped to reach the top now.

Everton's £45million record signing breezed into their Finch Farm training ground on Friday with the message that he has no regrets about the way he left Swansea, given the real chance of glory he has with the revitalised Blues.

But there have been questions whether the Iceland international is equipped for the expectations of life with a big club, after he struggled with high-profile moves to first Germany's Hoffenheim (for £6m) and then Tottenham (£6.8m) earlier in his career.

Attacking midfielder Sigurdsson though, is adamant he is a different, and better, player now.

Sigurdsson made 17 league starts in 18 months before Hoffenheim loaned him to Swansea (
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Getty)
His Swans form led to Spurs, where he made more Prem sub appearances than starts (
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Action Images)

The 27-year-old said: "What was I? 20, 21 maybe [he joined Hoffenheim from Reading a week before his 21st birthday], so I’m far from being the same player now that I was back then.

"Maybe it is was a combination of me not being ready then, and not getting a real opportunity — but I really did enjoy my time at Tottenham [he started 26 times and made 32 sub appearances in two league seasons from summer 2012]. It was fantastic experience.

"Of course I could have probably stayed on, but I wanted the chance to go back to Swansea [where he did well on loan from Hoffenheim in 2012 to earn that move to Spurs] and play football again. I wanted to use my time as a professional, because your career is really short. I wanted to go out and play every week and that worked out really well."

Nine goals and 13 assists for a struggling side last season convinced Everton to buy the 27-year-old (
Image:
Getty)

Sigurdsson has applied the same mentality that took him back to Swansea to his tough decision to leave the Welsh club once more.

He has suffered a summer to wrangling to get out of the Liberty Stadium, and there were times when he feared his dream move to Goodison would collapse around him.

But the talented forward knows he has given everything to the Swans and, now with his career on an upward curve, he needs to give himself the chance to join Everton's revolution and their crusade to turn the Big Six into a Magnificent Seven.

"I’ve got to be honest — of course there were some times and some days that you thought this eventually might not go through," he explained.

"It was difficult mentally to get this over the line. It was a difficult step, of course. I had a close relationship not just with the team but with the manager at Swansea. I really respect him.

"But there was no doubt in my mind. Everton want to go places. They have spent a lot on players and the club will improve over the next few years, and I want to be part of that, because I still want to advance as a player."

There was some fierce criticism when it was claimed by Swansea that Sigurdsson refused to go on their pre-season tour of the States last month with the move in the balance, but he insisted he did nothing wrong.

Sigurdsson played in a friendly at Barnet on July 12 before missing Swansea's US tour (
Image:
Getty)

"We all just thought it was that close to being done. I think both clubs, myself and the manager and the team decided for me to stay back," he said.

"I think the clubs were close to agreeing something, so there was maybe no point in flying out there just to fly back the day after. But then that was kind of the story of the summer. They were getting close, and then nothing happened."

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