Philippe Senderos relishes Everton competition

Senderos has only made two League Cup appearances this season

Everton defender Philippe Senderos is under no illusions he will have to fight for a first-team place after completing his loan move from Arsenal.

The 24-year-old Swiss is hoping to get games ahead of the 2010 World Cup.

Senderos told BBC Radio Merseyside: "Healthy competition will make you stronger and I think that is what we have here.

"That's what a player wants - you want competition. I need some games and hopefully I can do that here."

He added: "I was fit while I was at Arsenal but I didn't get my chance. I hope I can get back on track and play a few games in a row and hopefully get back to my level."

Senderos also had words of praise for Gunners boss Arsene Wenger for initially bringing him to England and he hopes, after a barren spell in North London, Everton manager David Moyes can continue his education.

"He picked me when I was 18 in Switzerland and I've played over 100 games for Arsenal and I owe a lot to him and the trust he put in me," he continued.

"But the last few months I didn't get any chances so I'm delighted to come here. I know we have a great manager here as well in David Moyes and I'm really happy to be here under him.

"Hopefully he's going to help me and help me develop as a player."

The Blues manager is equally pleased to get the defender, who he tried to sign in the summer after a loan spell at AC Milan.

"Philippe gives us a bit of Premier League experience which he's had with Arsenal," said Moyes. "He's hungry and wants to go to the World Cup with Switzerland and maybe has something to prove.

"Hopefully we can give him the opportunities to prove that.

"We were short on central defenders, especially with European numbers as well, as John Heitinga can't play in the European games.

"So it would mean if I had an injury to Joseph Yobo or Sylvain Distin, which we've had on many occasions in our earlier games, we wouldn't have had anybody.

"But we need him for the Premier League. Phil Jagielka is not back from his injury yet and Yobo in Africa at the moment but has a hamstring injury as well."