Out-of-favour Manchester City star Raheem Sterling has admitted for the first time he will consider leaving to secure regular game time.
The 26-year-old was one of Pep Guardiola 's key players but has become a peripheral figure at the Etihad over the past 12 months.
Sterling started the Champions League Final in May but has watched record signing Jack Grealish occupy his slot on the left wing since arriving at the Etihad.
The winger's woes at club level are a world away from his head-turning displays for England on their march to the Euro 2020 Final.
But Sterling admits the time may be coming for him to look elsewhere with Real Madrid and Barcelona understood to be long-term admirers.
Speaking at an FT Live event, he said: “If there was the option to go somewhere else for more game time I would be open to it.
“Football is the most important thing to me. All I know is the Premier League and I’ve always thought maybe one day
I’d love to play abroad, see how I would come up against that challenge.
“I’m not a person that’s going to complain. I’ve not tried to make it a bigger deal than it actually is.
“I get on with my work, do what I need to do. And I’m just raring to go, playing football matches regularly, scoring goals regularly.”
