Stoke City: Mame Biram Diouf relishing Premier League return

Diouf has three goals in 18 Senegal appearances

New Stoke City striker Mame Biram Diouf says he is a better player than when he last played in the Premier League.

The former Manchester United and Blackburn striker, 26, joined the Potters on a free transfer from Hannover on 1 July after scoring 26 goals in 57 Bundesliga games.

"Of course I am better, I have a lot more maturity and games in my legs," Diouf told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I've got more confidence in myself and I just want to score goals."

Diouf joined Manchester United in July 2009 after a spell with Norwegian club Molde, where he scored 29 goals in 63 games.

During nine appearances for United he found the net only once - in a 3-0 Premier League win over Burnley in January 2010.

The Senegal international was loaned back to Molde before returning to England to spend the 2010-11 season with Blackburn, where he scored six times in 30 games.

However, Diouf does not think he has anything to prove now he is back for another crack at the Premier League.

Diouf says he didn't "play as many games as I wanted" at Manchester United

"I've no reason to put pressure on myself, I just want to enjoy it as much as I can and things will go my way," he said.

"I didn't have the chance to play as many games as I wanted but now I've got that chance and I'm really excited."

The opportunity to work with Hughes, himself a former striker, was also one of the reasons Diouf was keen to come to the Britannia Stadium.

"Of course, that's why I'm here," he said.

"It's always good to have a manager who knows all about football - about movement - so it's good for me.

"I'm just going to listen and learn and try and put it into the games."