Joao Cancelo has had his say after his shock move to Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day, claiming that it was part of a mutually agreed deal with Manchester City.
The Portuguese defender lifted the lid on his high-profile exit, following claims of a disagreement between himself and Pep Guardiola.
The two-time Premier League champion joined the Bundesliga record winners on the final day of the winter window on loan until the end of the season, with a £61million buy option at the end of the campaign.
Cancelo insisted it was a 'mutual agreement' between him and the club, but stated there was a disagreement with Guardiola over whether he deserved more minutes for the Citizens.
The 28-year-old admitted that the Spanish manager was growing increasingly impressed by fellow defenders Rico Lewis and Nathan Ake, but suggested that the majority of players would have demanded more game time as he did.
'As I already said, he found a way to play, after the World Cup, in which he started playing with a full-back more inside, where I also played, and he liked what he saw with Rico [Lewis] and Nathan [Ake],' Cancelo said.
'But I think a player is always a bit selfish. Any player wants to feel important, wants to play and anyone who says otherwise is lying. A competitive player, like me, who aspires to win titles, just wants to play.
'It's not a question of devaluing my team-mates. But I thought I deserved to play and he didn't.
'So we talked, it was a conversation, not a discussion, and we decided that the best thing would be for me to leave this market. An opportunity I couldn't refuse. It was by mutual agreement.
'If City didn't want to, they wouldn't let me leave, because I had a contract. I'm very professional, I've always given my face for all the clubs. I have a difficult personality, yes, but I have never, at any time, disrespected team-mates or coaches.'
The player had resumed his role as a near ever-present under Guardiola at the start of the season, but saw his game time infringed by the emergence of Lewis following the World Cup.
Since December 28, Cancelo only played more than 45 minutes three times and was left on the bench entirely on five occasions.
Sportsmail that had exclusively revealed that Cancelo had a heated training ground bust-up with City boss Guardiola, which prompted him to seek an exit.
The confrontation occurred after Cancelo was snubbed during Manchester City's FA Cup fourth-round victory against Arsenal last month, with Ake starting ahead of him at left-back and Lewis on the opposite flank.
Game time has not been an issue for the Portugal international so far since his switch to the German titans.
He has made five appearances already, with just one of those coming from the bench, and has been back among the assists with two to his name in that period.