Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Alvaro Negredo: I was not homesick at Man City; Pellegrini lost faith in me

Alvaro Negredo insists he left Manchester City because Manuel Pellegrini lost faith in him, and claims his return to Spain was not due to homesickness.

Negredo, 29, returned to his homeland to join Valencia on loan on the final day of the summer transfer window, and the Liga club are obliged to pay €30 million this summer to make the move permanent.

The striker made a superb start at City, scoring 23 goals in his first 33 games. However, Negredo then played while injured, failing to score in his last 16 appearances and losing his place in the team to Edin Dzeko.

The former Sevilla forward said he wanted to go because he thought he no longer commanded Pellegrini's confidence, telling the Mail on Sunday: "There are things you miss when you leave your country but the main reason I left is because the manager lost faith in me.

"Around February, I had an injury to my shoulder. I didn't stop to rest it. I was playing in a huge amount of pain.

"Kun [Sergio Aguero] was injured and Stevan Jovetic had problems, so I felt I had to play. We had huge games against Chelsea and Barcelona.

"I didn't play well and the manager started to play Edin Dzeko. I don't feel I ever regained his trust."

Negredo said the number of Spanish speakers in the City dressing room made it easier for him to settle in at the Etihad Stadium.

"I was not homesick," he added. "I was very happy in Manchester and on a personal level. It is a different way of life but it is not an excuse.

"I made an effort to learn English, the manager spoke English in the dressing room and I could understand most of it by the end of the season. It is not a reason to say my family wasn't happy."

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