Roberto Martinez is grateful to have been given the "great opportunity" of managing Belgium but said that his players need to improve their mentality to win major tournaments.
Martinez, 43, was appointed as head coach of the team ranked No. 2 in the world after Marc Wilmots was sacked following their 3-1 defeat to Wales at the Euro 2016 quarterfinals.
The former Everton manager said he is relishing the chance of trying to help players who have "the world at their feet" to fulfil their potential at international level.
"Obviously I've been working with Belgian players and I've been intrigued by Belgian football for a long time now," he said. "I think the talent of our players is there to be seen."
Martinez confirmed that he had turned down an offer from Anderlecht shortly before taking on his new role.
He said the "real challenge" facing Belgium is becoming accustomed to being expected to win most of the games they play in.
"When I was working in England, obviously Belgium became one of the big favourites, or one of the teams that everyone sees as one of the best squads," he told a news conference in Brussels on his first day in the new role. "Remember that that doesn't make a winning team straightaway.
"What I saw in the Euros is an incredible respect from the opposition. When they play against Belgium, they're prepared to change the way they play -- they're prepared to make it very, very difficult for you to win a game.
"It happened in Brazil [at the 2014 World Cup]. But I think the evolution has been very good. Remember that in football to achieve something you have to get that vision of how you win a major tournament."
When asked where the players could improve, Martinez highlighted their mentality. The talent required is already there, according to the Spaniard, but his players have to start feeling at ease with being labelled a golden generation.
He maintained that it was realistic to hope that they can fulfil their potential and said the players had to be able to deal with that expectation in order to enjoy their football for the national team.
"We are at the start of a process and we need to be all together to allow these players to perform with the right freedom," he said.
"Sometimes you see that there was a little bit too much pressure because you carry the hopes and the desire of the whole country. And we're all responsible for that. We have to help our team so they play with passion, with quality, but also with freedom in order to beat the opposition."
Meanwhile, the Belgian FA's technical director Chris Van Puyvelde said Martinez's extensive Premier League experience with Wigan and Everton was a key consideration for his appointment.
"Everybody knows that the Premier League is one of the highest leagues in the world, not only with money but you see it every day and can follow it all over the world," Van Puyvelde said.
"This man beside me has been working seven years in the Premier League. Not always in the best circumstances but he did a fantastic job.
"When I called some people I know around in England they all said the same: passion, works hard, clear. And that's, for me, very important."
Van Puyvelde said that this was confirmed when the FA met Martinez and that his reputation for working individually with players had also impressed them.
He said: "Then you have to imagine someone from Spain who goes to England who knows Spanish football, who has Spanish football inside, and there he is confronted with the passion of England. Then you can be sure that this, together, can be something fantastic."
Van Puyvelde also praised Martinez's desire to attend Belgian league matches this weekend and to live in the country and said this showed how committed he is to his new job.