Chelsea's Raheem Sterling reveals desperation to leave Man City: 'I was fuming, raging...'

After making a blockbuster switch from reigning Premier League champions Manchester City to rivals Chelsea, English winger Raheem Sterling has explained the desperation he had to leave the Etihad Stadium at the end of last season. The 27-year-old said that he had been left fuming and raging under Pep Guardiola by the treatment he received during the end of his tenure as he did not feel wanted at the club.

Sterling highlights desperation to leave Man City

While speaking to Sky Sports in an interview, Raheem Sterling 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. 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."

The English winger went on to highlight the desperation he had in leaving the Etihad Stadium by explaining how even his best efforts did not guarantee him a spot in the team. "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."

When he was asked if he had reached a point where he could no longer stay at Manchester City, Sterling replied, "Yes, it was literally that. As a player, you always want to do your best and help your team, but when you don't think things are going fairly, it's always a disappointment. If you are not happily playing your football you've got to look at other options to get that happiness back, and that's exactly what I have done. It was the right time for me to move on. I wouldn't stay part of something I knew I couldn't give my all in."