"It was a big step" - 31-year-old player suggests he 'may not have been ready' for Manchester City move

Atletico Madrid centre-back Stefan Savic has explained that his move to Manchester City in the Premier League came too early in his career.

Savic signed for Manchester City in 2011 from FK Partizan Belgrade as a 20-year-old, and struggled to get into the lineup on a consistent basis.

It wasn't really a surprise as the duo of Joleon Lescott and Vincent Kompany were established centre-backs and were Roberto Mancini's preferred pairing at the back.

Savic made just 11 Premier League appearances and featured nine more times across the cup competitions over the 2011-12 season.

Regardless, he won the Premier League title with Manchester City before joining Fiorentina on a free transfer in 2012.

In 2015, Savic joined Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, and he has been a defensive stalwart for Los Colchoneros ever since. Ahead of his side's game against Manchester United in the Champions League, Savic said:

"It was very important for me, because I came directly from the Serbian league and it was a big step in my career. Looking back, I may not have been ready for the Premier League at the time, it was a very big jump.

"But it was a very good experience, I played just over 20 games and it helped me gain experience, grow as a footballer and as a man.

"At that time, I didn't see myself ready to play there and I decided to go to Italy. I grew a lot for three years and it helped me to sign for Atlético."

Savic has established himself as a top centre-back after leaving Manchester City

Diego Simeone's side often rely on battle-hardened centre-backs, and Savic has suited them well.

The Montenegrin played a crucial role for Atletico Madrid last season as they won their second La Liga title under Diego Simeone.

Los Colchoneros had the best defensive record in La Liga last season, which helped them finish ahead of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Savic will hope to beat his former team's arch-rivals Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Simeone's side have not been in good form as they have struggled in the league. They will look to turn their season around starting with Manchester United.