Patrick Vieira believes he is a better player now than he was when he left the Premier League four-and-a-half years ago.

GettyImagesPatrick Vieira feels he is better than he was at Arsenal

Vieira will make his Manchester City debut against Blackburn at Eastlands on Monday night providing he recovers from the niggling calf injury he picked up in his final game for Inter Milan last week.

The former Arsenal captain found it difficult enough to impress Jose Mourinho in Italy, so the perceived wisdom is that he will struggle to adjust to life back in England, where the pace tends to be far higher, but Vieira has total faith in his ability and feels his Serie A experience has made him better than ever.

"I am a better player for the experiences I have had," he said. "You get better with experience and age and I have been really lucky to play at big clubs.

"I have learned a lot around big-name players and I have come back to the Premier League a better player than I used to be."

Meanwhile, Vieira's former Arsenal team-mate Tony Adams has claimed the midfielder was considering quitting football or ending his career in America before Manchester City offered him a return to the Premier League.

Adams visited Mourinho at Inter towards the end of last year and spoke to Vieira, who was looking at his options after falling down the Portuguese manager's midfield pecking order at the San Siro.

Following in the footsteps of David Beckham and playing Major League Soccer was a consideration but City came in with a six-month deal and an option of another year, worth an estimated £10million if the 33-year-old stays at Eastlands for the next 18 months.

"I was with Patrick in Milan before Christmas," Adams said on Goals on Sunday. "I talked to him and he was ready to call it a day to be honest.

"He was used to playing at the top. He said maybe he would look at the States. His contract was running out, he was on a good contract at Inter but wasn't playing. This opportunity has come along and he's taken it with both hands."