Raheem Sterling says he 'lived the dream' at Man City but couldn't accept staying

Raheem Sterling says he lived the dream at Manchester City, but his spells out of the team in the last two seasons meant he had no choice but to move on.

Speaking for the first time since sealing his transfer to Chelsea, Sterling detailed the struggles of deciding to leave City after a trophy-filled seven years at the Etihad. However, while the decision to return to London was difficult for himself and his family, he admits his struggles to hold down a regular spot at City ultimately proved to be the main factor in swapping sky blue for dark blue at Chelsea.

"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," he explained. "My personality is to try to fight and change the scenario, but it didn't come, and that was it."

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"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, being in the football game, and I feel like I've got my head on my shoulders. I know exactly what I what from my life and football. So it's a perfect time to have a new challenge."

Despite ending his association with City, where he scored 131 goals and grabbed 94 assists in 337 outings, winning 10 major trophies, Sterling was able to look back fondly on the progress he made as a player and as a person in Manchester.

He said: "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