Algerian star Riad Mehrez has returned to his career with Leicester and regretted his late departure to a major club after winning the English Premier League title in 2016, and stressed that the brilliance in the games is not enough to be always in the starting line-up for Manchester City.
Mehrez said in an interview with France Football magazine that his agent had agreed to all the details with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, but the management of Leicester City refused to allow him to leave in the summer of 2016.
He said that if he left in that class, the situation would be different now because joining Manchester City at the age of 25 is not like arriving at the age of 27 years.
He pointed out that he went through difficult circumstances after the season with Leicester because it is not easy to move from the status of the best player in the Premier League to a member of a team struggling to ensure survival in the next season.
Mehrez described his relationship with Pep Guardiola as normal, and expressed admiration for the personality of the coach and his persistent determination to win and motivate his players continued to progress and development.
He pointed out that the situation is difficult in the team, and said that the brilliance in the games does not guarantee the player a permanent position in the starting lineup because the competition is strong and everyone is required to provide a very excellent performance every game and not lax or retreat at any moment because it means giving the opportunity to others.