Manchester City ace Kevin de Bruyne admits he feared for his career while stuck at Chelsea.
The Belgium star says there was no way he could imagine the success he's enjoyed when struggling to make his way at Stamford Bridge.
He recalled: "My departure from Chelsea? I decided to leave because I felt I didn't have a chance to play at the time. I didn't see any other opportunities coming up, so for me it was the best decision to leave Chelsea and find myself in a situation where I felt I could start over.
"Did I expect it to end like this? Of course not, because at the time it was a very bad experience in my career, but I never doubted my abilities as a football player.
"Eight years ago, I couldn't imagine playing for City, making the World Cup and all that."
