I left Pep Guardiola fuming - but he taught me something I'll never forget at Man City

There will be plenty of old faces to catch up with on Sunday as Manchester City open their Premier League campaign.

Pep Guardiola and Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca call each other regularly as friends, and Guardiola defended Maresca after their pre-season win a fortnight ago. Former City goalkeeper Willy Caballero is on the Chelsea staff these days, while Romeo Lavia, Tosin Adarabioyo and Cole Palmer are all City Football Academy success stories now playing at Stamford Bridge.

Then there is Raheem Sterling, arguably the most successful City player of the lot to have swapped Manchester for West London - yet he barely receives more than a polite applause from the Etihad when he returns. It's almost like his time at City is forgotten, that all parties have moved on.

ALSO READ: 'Livid' Man City argument that left an angry Pep Guardiola in the dark

ALSO READ: Grealish out, Savinho debut - Man City predicted XI vs Chelsea in Premier League opener

Sterling was part of one of City's most successful-ever teams. He was their number seven and provided 204 goals or assists in 339 appearances for the Blues. He won 12 major trophies for City including four Premier League titles and they wouldn't have won them without him.

But he felt like he had to leave in 2022 because he could see he wasn't getting the minutes he needed. There had been hints of an unhappy player - publicly and behind the scenes - and it felt like the right time to move on.

A new book released this week by Guardiola confidant Marti Pernarau detailed a blazing row between Guardiola and Sterling when the winger questioned being left out of the team in 2021. “Sterling stormed out of the office twice, only to be called back in again," Perarnau writes.

"Then, after