Raheem Sterling has acknowledged that he joined Chelsea because their desire to snag him away from Manchester City took him aback.
Sterling ended a seven-year relationship with Premier League champions City when he agreed to a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge with an additional 12-month option.
The 27-year-old won the Premier League championship on four separate occasions, but after losing his spot as a regular starter, he lost interest in life at City.
Sterling has now revealed what drew him to Chelsea in an interview with Sky Sports, admitting that his £47.5 million move was a “blessing in disguise” and a huge chance to reset and challenge himself.
“It was their intent, how they approached me,” Sterling revealed. “I wasn’t listening to promises, I was seeing action and I think that was one of the factors that made me really consider the football club, the way they showed me how important a role I could have here.
“Looking back on what they have achieved here in the last couple of years, the finals they missed out on, the new owner taking over, it’s a team that is always competing on all fronts and I knew it would only get better. I didn’t need to make another choice.
“It was a possibility I wouldn’t let pass. It’s a blessing in disguise, it’s another challenge and a challenge I’ll look back on at the end of my career and know I stepped up to the plate and I can be happy with myself.
“The most part was just getting to play football week in, week out. It was the first time in my career experiencing that, it was kind of a shock, so I just wanted to get back playing and enjoying my football again. It was as simple as that, and I knew that once I could do that, I could be happy and show that on the field.”
