Raheem Sterling on ugly Liverpool exit: ‘I was right to seal Manchester City move, it’s made me a better player’ –

A prolonged, and often ugly, saga over the 20-year-old's future came to an end in July when he finally left Anfield and joined City in a £49million deal.

It made Sterling the most expensive English player in history, and the fleet-footed forward – who has been in fine form for City this season – is confident of repaying the eye-watering fee and believes the move will benefit not just his club, but his country, too.

 

"It’s been good at City,"  Sterling,  speaking in a press conference for the first time since his summer move, said.

"The boys have really welcomed me which has really surprised me, and also how quickly I have settled in. They are a really good bunch of lads so that has helped massively.

"I’m not trying to say I proved anyone wrong. It’s just that I thought it was right for me, and my heart was saying it is what I should do.

"They are both big clubs and I am just happy to be where I am at this moment in time. I’m happy with my development.

"To go into training every day and see players of that calibre that I am working with, like Vinny [Kompany], Sergio [Aguero], David [Silva], Joe [Hart] - there's only one thing that you can do and that's improve with players like that.

"They've been around for many years, achieving stuff for many years.

"I am just happy to be in a squad like that and hopefully I continue my development and win trophies in the future with my football club."

Liverpool repeatedly insisted the starlet was not for sale throughout the summer’s saga, before they eventually relented when City made an offer they simply couldn’t refused.

And Sterling says his “stubborn" streak helped him to force through the controversial transfer.

“I'm really stubborn, he said. “Everything goes through one ear and out the other - my mum says that as well.

“If I want something then I am going to go after it and try and do it well.

"It was difficult. Obviously you have negativity around you. My family helped me get through it and now I am just really happy where I am and how it is going and where I can take my career from now.”

Sterling was speaking ahead of England’s friendly cash against Spain on Friday in Alicante, which is followed by another glamour tie against France at Wembley on Tuesday.

And, after finishing their straightforward Euro 2016 qualification campaign with an 100 per cent record, Sterling knows these games will offer a better yardstick to measure their post-World Cup improvements.

"We know that it was a good run in qualifying and we were unbeaten, but were this is the real challenge," he added.

"We are going to be playing some of Europe's best teams and this is where we get to see where we are in terms of the tournament in the summer.

"Hopefully we can really show what we can do and get the win."