Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling has opened up on the reasons behind his Manchester City exit in the summer, saying he "couldn't afford to waste time" at the Etihad Stadium.
The 27-year-old spent seven years in Manchester, winning 12 trophies including four Premier League titles, five League Cups and one FA Cup. Sterling scored 131 goals and registered 74 assists in 339 games for the Citizens following his move from Liverpool in 2015.
Over recent seasons, Sterling’s inclusions became more sporadic, with Pep Guardiola opting to use other attacking options instead. Following the summer arrival of Erling Haaland, Sterling was likely to slip even further down the pecking order.
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Ahead of Chelsea’s London derby against Tottenham on Sunday, the England international revealed that game time was the driving factor behind his exit.
He told reporters: "As a person you strive to achieve, and I just felt my time at City was getting limited on playing time for different reasons.
"I couldn't afford to waste that time, so I needed to keep that same level and a fresh challenge."
Sterling is also excited to be back in his home city and is looking forward to this new chapter of his career.
"It does feel like coming home. I feel like it's my full journey - going up to Liverpool and manifesting what I wanted, going to City and living the dream, and now coming back to London as a grown adult.
"I've been in the football game a while now, I've got my head on my shoulders and I know exactly what I want from my life and football, so it's the perfect time to come back and have a new challenge."
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
