Raheem Sterling was left 'fuming and raging' by how his career at Manchester City ended

Raheem Sterling has opened up about his decision to leave Manchester City this summer in a refreshingly honest interview.

The 27-year-old England international, who scored 131 goals in 339 appearances for City, ended his seven-year spell with the Premier League champions last month.

He was the first marquee signing under Todd Boehly's new ownership at Chelsea after penning a five-year deal.

The move, believed to be worth around £50 million, may have come as a surprise to many, but a frustrated Sterling was ready for a new challenge following "misunderstandings" at Manchester City.

Ahead of Chelsea's clash against Leeds on Sunday, the England forward gave a fascinating insight into the end of his time at the Etihad.

"Everyone wants to feel wanted, football is no different," he told Sky Sports.

"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."

When pushed on the reasons behind leaving Pep Guardiola's side, Sterling added: "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."

In the interview with Geoff Shreeves, Sterling was also asked whether his situation at City had become untenable.

"Yes, it was literally that," he added. "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 happy 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.

"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]."

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