Manchester City defender Micah Richards has opened up about his decision to join Serie A side Fiorentina on loan.

The England international said that leaving the Premier League champions was tough, but insisted that he was not given enough opportunities to prove himself there.

"Leaving City was always going to be sad after 12 years, it was hard for me to leave because I know nothing else but Manchester City," the Daily Star quotes him as saying.

"But I don't have any bad feelings towards the club, they put me on the map and gave me a chance when I was 17. But I do have bad feelings towards the playing time.

"I feel as though I could have been given more chances to play because I felt like I had improved and that I could do it at that level having shown that I could already."

Richards joined Fiorentina on a season-long loan on transfer deadline day.