Chelsea new signing Raheem Sterling has touched on the events leading up to his exit from Manchester City, which left him fuming in an interview with Sky Sports.
The English forward departed the Etihad Stadium for Stamford Bridge in a £47.5 million deal, signing a five-year deal.
He became a key part of Pep Guardiola’s side at City, winning four Premier League titles and scoring 131 goals in 339 appearances.
However, Sterling has not spoken fondly of his departure from the Cityzens, explaining that he felt mistreated at the back end of his spell with the side.
He said:
“Everyone wants to feel wanted, football is no different. When you play your heart out, sacrifice some of your kids’ birthdays, and then get treated in a certain way, it’s disappointing.”
He added:
“At the time I was fuming, raging, but it’s gone, it’s in the past and I can only focus on the present, which is now, here at Chelsea, and the opportunity I’ve got here to go out and showcase my talents once again.”
Sterling was then asked about the factors that played a role in him departing Manchester City for Chelsea, he replied:
“Misunderstandings, contracts running down. It was a shame to see how it ended in the end because I had such a great time there.”
“A lot of things came into play, a lot of reasons, but I wasn’t complaining, I was ready to challenge and, as you can see, even with some of the performances I put in, you couldn’t guarantee yourself a place so it just didn’t make sense to fight a battle you can never win.”
The former Liverpool attacker lauded City but concluded by explaining that he had to make the right decision for his career:
“It [City] is a fantastic club, it’s a club that wins lots of trophies, it’s a club that has helped my development massively in the past couple of years, but there comes a time when you’ve got to think about yourself, what’s best for yourself, and what you want for the future. That’s the sole reason why I am here [at Chelsea].”
Former Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta advised Chelsea star Raheem Sterling not to speak ill of former club
Former Manchester City right-back Zabaleta commented on Sterling’s departure from City to Chelsea, advising the Englishman not to have any bad words for his former side.
He said:
“The moment you leave you always need to talk nicely to the club you’ve been playing for, I wish he could behave in that way.”
Sterling’s interview with Sky Sports came following Zabaleta’s warning.
It perhaps tells the story of the English forward’s unhappiness at the latter stages of his time at the Etihad.