Middlesbrough striker Alvaro Negredo says Manchester City exit a 'mistake'
Friday 4 November 2016 11:57, UK
Alvaro Negredo has said his decision to leave Man City after one season was a 'mistake' ahead of his return to the Etihad this weekend.
The striker spent one season with the Manchester club, netting 23 times in 48 appearances in all competitions before moving back to Spain with Valencia.
He suffered with an injury towards the end of his time at City that limited his game time, and believes a lack of trust from then-manager Manuel Pellegrini contributed to his decision to leave.
"I started the season well and the fans saw what I could do when I was 100 per cent fit," Negredo said in an interview with The Sun.
"But from February I suffered from a shoulder injury which I never really recovered from. When you have a niggling injury like that, it stops you showing your best form. And I don't feel I ever regained the manager's trust.
"So unfortunately things didn't turn out how I wanted them to. I do think I made a mistake to go back to Spain when I was doing things well in the Premier League.
"But thankfully now I've been given the chance to come back and start this other chapter here in England again."
The Spain international struggled during his time back in La Liga - netting just 18 times in 74 appearances for Valencia - but is determined to rediscover his scoring touch with Boro and add to his one strike so far this season.
"I'm convinced I can regain my form," he added. "I have had two seasons where I have not shown my best so you have to be realistic and I am very grateful that Middlesbrough have given me the chance to start again and improve.
"England is a league I've always enjoyed and I want to show that better version of myself that you saw seasons ago."
However, plenty has changed at City since Negredo's departure in September 2014, and the striker says he does think about what could have happened if he had remained with he club.
"You always want to play with the best and Pep is obviously one of the best managers around. What he does when he goes to teams, he gets the very best out of each individual.
"When I took the decision to leave the club in 2014, at the time, it was taken for the right reasons. But who knows? Who knows, if I had stayed at City, things might have been different to how they transpired at Valencia.
"There are people at City that I miss. I have some good friends there, both on and off the field. I still keep in touch with some of them on the phone, so it will be nice to see them - players like Pablo Zabaleta, Sergio Aguero, David Silva.
"We went through a lot together - winning the league title and the Capital One Cup that season. That was something special, so I've got some really good memories at City and I'm looking forward to going back there very much.
"I don't feel like I have anything to prove. I am very confident that I gave my absolute best when I was there."
