Manchester City defender Micah Richards has admitted that the main reason behind his loan move to Fiorentina was the lack of playing opportunities behind 'outstanding' Pablo Zabaleta.

Richards joined the Italian club on a season-long loan last summer and suggests the major reason behind the move was to find regular football as he was unable to do so behind Argentina international Zabaleta.

"He [Zabaleta] was number one and I had to accept that. He has been outstanding," Richards said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"But I just couldn't get my head around being second choice. I'd rather play for a lesser team. I know a lot of players would just take the money at City. But I'd rather take a pay cut and play every week. Ideally you want to be playing at the highest level, in the Champions League and so on.

"But when you're fit and you're occasionally not even getting in the 18…it's a tough school at Manchester City. It got to the stage where it didn't matter how well I did or how fit I was, Zabaleta was playing."

The 26-year old right-back featured in just ten league games for the Florence club during his loan stay in the Serie A.