Raheem Sterling has conceded that he was ‘raging’ over his exit from Manchester City, unhappy to feel unwanted after seen years with the club, but he is over it now as he continues his career at Chelsea.
It was not a move that many saw coming at the end of last campaign, when Sterling had played 47 games for City in all competitions, scoring 17 goals, and won a fourth Premier League title.
But, the champions cashed in on the England star, selling him to Chelsea for £47.5m and he has immediately become an important man in the Blues’ front line.
While he is focused on matters in hand at Stamford Bridge, the 27-year-old says that it hurt for City to want rid of him after over 300 games for the club.
‘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,’ Sterling told Sky Sports.
“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.
Asked to explain how his exit came about, Sterling said: ‘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.’
He added: ‘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].’
