The 24-year-old was replaced by Paulo Ferreira, following the arrival of Jose Mourinho, in the Blues’ team.
“We had a couple of games to play before the Barcelona match. Mourinho picked me for a game and told me in front of five witnesses that if I played well, I would keep the shirt,” he told the Sunday Times.
“I immediately told my agent that it didn’t matter how well I played, I would be dropped because Mourinho wouldn’t want me anywhere near the team for the Barcelona game.
“Sure enough I was voted Man of the Match – and I was dropped from the squad. You would have to ask Mourinho what his reasons were but I know it was because he didn’t want to see me play well and be forced to pick me for Barcelona.
“That was the day I knew I had to leave Chelsea. Managers have to stick to their word. You have to be able to trust them.
“I left Chelsea because I had to play football. I got the feeling I was finished there when they signed Ferreira. Mourinho told me that wasn’t the case but there were a lot of things he told me that weren’t true.
“I remember speaking to my mates and telling them that while I was being paid to play football, playing football was the thing I was doing least in my life.
“Even when I got the odd chance in the first team, I knew even if I scored four goals I’d be out for the next game. That thing kills you as a professional footballer and I suppose I became a bit of a time bomb.
“It gives me a lift when I wonder what Mourinho thinks about what’s happened to me since I left Chelsea. He never spoke to me about why I wasn’t playing.
“He probably thought I would go to Portsmouth, fade away, disappear and not do anything in the game – and probably 70 per cent of football fans thought the same. I think I’ve proved my point as far as Mourinho is concerned. People, even Jose Mourinho, make mistakes.”
