Mario Balotelli has admitted that he had heard very little about Manchester City before joining the club in 2010.

The Italian attacker opted to join the Citizens following a three-year stint with Serie A club Inter Milan.

However, the 21-year-old has confessed that he would not have signed on at the Etihad Stadium had it not been for manager Roberto Mancini.

"I had heard nothing about Manchester City when I first got the call. If Roberto Mancini wasn't here I would never have come. Mancini was the Inter coach when I used to play in their academy," Balotelli told BBC Sport.

The striker has also been critical of the way he was managed by Jose Mourinho during his time at the San Siro.

"With Jose Mourinho, he didn't understand me," he added. "He said nobody can understand me, but it was only him. That's his problem."

City paid a reported £18m to sign Balotelli from Inter.