Brazilian defender Felipe believes that the greatest challenge of his career lies ahead of him after joining Inter Milan until the end of the season.
The 30-year-old signed a four-month deal with Inter last week after terminating his contract with crisis-club Parma in January due to a dispute over unpaid wages.
Felipe is eager to make the desired impact at Inter in a bid to extend his stay past this summer.
"This is a great opportunity for me," Felipe told his club's official website. "Inter is a big club, with a lot of history. I want to prove my worth and make the most of this opportunity. It's a big challenge that I welcome."
Felipe appears to have put behind him a difficult spell with Parma, who are on the brink of bankruptcy and have not paid their players or staff since last summer.
Moreover, the Gialloblu have endured a dismal campaign and lie at the foot of the Serie A standings with just three wins so far.
"This team have welcomed me with open arms and I didn't expect that," Felipe said of Inter. "It has really helped me after what happened at Parma.
"They have made me feel a member of the team since day one. It has made me feel important."
Felipe, who has plenty of Serie A experience having played for Udinese, Fiorentina, Cesena and Siena since moving to Italy at the age of 15, is working hard to get back to match fitness.
The South American last played a competitive game on Nov. 30 when he started in Parma's 2-1 league defeat at Palermo.
"I have been training with Inter over the past few weeks, but I haven't played any games so far so I need a bit more time to get my fitness back," he said. "But I'm working hard in training every day in order to make up for lost time.
"I want to be available to the coach as soon as possible."
Inter coach Roberto Mancini is unlikely to hand Felipe playing time in Sunday's game at Napoli.
Felipe, who is not eligible to play for Inter in the Europa League, is set to make his Nerazzurri debut at home to Cesena on March 15.