Roberto Mancini: 'I didn't want Adam Johnson to leave'

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed that he understood why Adam Johnson wanted to leave City to join Sunderland.

Johnson left the Premier League champions during the summer after telling Mancini that he needed to play regular first-team football and the City boss has admitted that the Sunderland winger has played more regularly for the Black Cats than he would have done if he had remained at Manchester City.

Mancini told reporters: "I didn't want Adam to leave, but he told me he wanted to play all the time and, for this reason, I had to let him go.

"Adam was an important player for me but I understood his situation – he was young and he wanted to play.

"Johnson is a little older now and he is playing a little more than he would have done had he remained at Eastlands. It should also be pointed out that he is not playing any better."

Johnson has scored twice in 18 appearances for Sunderland.