Michael Ballack surprised at captaincy and form at Chelsea

 "I am proud that I was immediately right back in it after my injury," he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa in an exclusive interview.

 "That it's gone like that is something you couldn't really expect. With all the injuries at Chelsea I was straight back in a position of responsibility.

 "On the other hand you have things easier when you're back in a team without injury worries. But we have managed well. That I was made captain right away is something for example I didn't expect."

   Chelsea manager Avram Grant made Ballack skipper in the absence of captain John Terry and vice captain Frank Lampard, who are both injured.

 Ballack returned to the team last month after a complicated ankle injury had sidelined him since April. He had admitted that at 31 he thought at one time his career might be over.

 The injury was "of course" still in his mind in the first training sessions "but it's now gone," he said

   "I am of course not yet top fit, that's not possible. It needs a few weeks to be sure to get to the stage where I feel at my best, but I'm not given it any thoughts."

   Ballack, who joined Chelsea on a free transfer from Bayern Munich, failed fully to convince home fans in his first season at the club last season.

 Reported differences with the club over the treatment to his injury then fuelled speculation over his future in London. It led to the midfielder putting out a statement last August via Chelsea's website underlining his commitment to the club.

 He now hopes "that I will continue to be an important part of the team, as I was before the injury."

   "Towards the end of last season things were actually going better and better for me, but then the injury came. I want to get back to that point again and to have success with the team," he told dpa.

 Ballack said he had no doubts that moving to England was the right decision and he was "completely satisfied" at Chelsea.

 "For me and my family it was super to move here. It was the right decision ... We have settled in here, I have a contract and no intention of changing clubs," he said.

 Looking at international football, Ballack said the German team had made progress when comparing Euro 2008 qualifying results with those from friendlies before the 2006 World Cup.

 The Germans under Joachim Loew had gained in the number of quality players, was more stable and would be among the favourites at this year's European Championships in Austria and Switzerland.

 However he believed the team could not be classed as the tournament's top favourite, suggesting the Germans were still behind teams like world champions Italy or France.

 "In 2010 at the World Cup in South Africa, that's when I hope the players have developed and that one doesn't have to shy away from individual (player) comparisons with France or Italy," he said.

 "As a team Germany was alway good, nobody could teach us anything in terms of unity or mental strength. But in individual class we all have to try to take a step forward so that we can go there and say, 'we are this time the favourites'."

DPA