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Raheem Sterling has revealed why he decided to leave Premier League champions Manchester City for Chelsea.
The England international Sterling said he decided to leave the Etihad for Stamford Bridge because he "couldn’t afford to waste more time”.
Following his move from Liverpool to City back in 2015, the 27-year-old went on to have a trophy-landed spell with the Cityzens, winning four Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and five League Cups.
However, Sterling fell on the pecking order in Pep Guardiola's team for the big matches in the Premier League and Champions League last season, one of many reasons that led the forward to seek pastures new.
"As a person, you always strive to achieve stuff,” Sterling said as the Mirror quoted.
“I felt my game time at [Man] City was getting limited for different reasons and I couldn't afford to waste more time. When I look back in the future, I never wanted to look back and see a rise then a decline. So, my feeling was I needed to keep at the same level and a fresh challenge was needed."
"Since I was 17, I've been a regular starter and to get to the peak time in my career, not to be playing regularly was something I wouldn't accept. My personality is to try to fight and change the scenario but it didn't come and that was it.
"With the game time being limited, like anything, I’m 27 years old and I know my standards and I know what I bring to a team. I wouldn’t accept anything less.”
Leaving the Etihad was difficult.
Sterling spend seven seasons at Man City and he confessed leaving the English top flight champions was a hard decision.
“Of course, with the time I spent at City, there were a lot of memories and top moments. But the year and a bit I was out of the team taught me a lot about myself and made me value a lot of things and try to get them in order.
“A lot of things happen for a reason and I kept with that mentality. It was difficult, my kids went to school there and my son is missing his friends. But in life, you have to make decisions that are best for yourself and for your family?”
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