Manchester, Sept. 3 -- Just a year after returning to Manchester City, German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has left the club to join Turkish side Galatasaray. He explained that his reason to move away from Manchester stems from self-belief in his ability to perform at the highest level for a side competing in the Champions League.

Manchester City announced Gundogan's departure on Wednesday, marking the end of his second stint with the Blues. Across his two spells, Gundogan made 358 appearances and netted 65 goals.

"Dear Cityzens, I want to be honest with you... the reason why I'm leaving is very simple: I still want to play football as often as possible, because that's what I love the most," he wrote on his Instagram account.

"I'll turn 3...