Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has insisted that he bears no ill will towards former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, admitting that he asked to leave the club after growing frustrated by a lack of game time.
The Belgian was sold by the Blues to German side Wolfsburg for £18m in January 2014 but returned to the Premier League with Manchester City just 19 months later as his value more than tripled to £55m.
Mourinho has previously stated that he had wanted to keep De Bruyne at Stamford Bridge, despite accusing him of being an "upset baby" and "training very badly".
"There was talk that I didn't train too much, stories I couldn't defend myself against as the sessions were always behind closed doors," De Bruyne told The Telegraph. "People who know me, know it's not the truth. A few months later, I was a key player at Wolfsburg and I played a good World Cup. Who's right then? I just like to play football. Put me on a bench and I will feel bad.
"Mourinho told me he wasn't keen to let me go, even not on a loan - 'you're a good player'. But what could I do more? After his [comments] I even started training harder, even on my days off. But my situation never changed. That's why I asked him in a friendly way: 'Please let me go.'
"Chelsea wanted to loan me out, even wanted me to stay, but I had enough of it. I wanted to leave."
De Bruyne will return to Stamford Bridge this evening as Chelsea welcome Manchester City in the late kickoff.
Neil Wilkes
