Raheem Sterling was convinced to quit Manchester City for Chelsea after a Pep Guardiola decision left him raging.
On Sunday, Sterling will line up against City for the fourth time since his departure as Chelsea look to go toe-to-toe with last season’s Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble winners.
Sterling departed City in the summer of 2022 for £47.5million, having won four Premier League titles at the Etihad and netted 131 goals in 339 appearances.
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However Sterling revealed his lack of game time in his final season under Guardiola helped convince him to switch Manchester for London.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the time, 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."
Despite having also sold Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to Arsenal in the same summer, Guardiola defended the club's decision to let go of the trio.
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In August 2022 the Spaniard said: "If you force one person to stay when he doesn’t want to stay how can you get the best from him? It's impossible," he said in August 2022.
"I wouldn’t want to move anyone on now. I love this squad I have. I feel comfortable training with them because after six, seven years we know each other incredibly well. In the bad moments, I know how they react; they are incredible professionals.
"I would love to stay all together but at the same time the transfer window ends in 10-15 days and if a player wants to leave then we will find a solution. Which one, I don’t know but we will find it."
Sterling scored just nine goals in 38 appearances in his debut season at Chelsea, but this term has found a new lease of life, having already scored four times and grabbed two assists in 13 matches so far.
Topics: Football, Raheem Sterling, Chelsea, Manchester City, Premier League
Chris Byfield