Matija Nastasic has denied he fell out with Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini.
The Serbian defender has left the Premier League champions to join Schalke on loan for the rest of the campaign, with a view to a permanent move.
Nastasic, who was signed by Roberto Mancini in 2012, won City's Young Player of the Year award in his first season at the Etihad Stadium.
But Pellegrini has not picked him in the Premier League since February 2014 or at all since August's Community Shield.
However, Nastasic told Sky Sports there was no row, explaining: "No, everything was alright. It was hard for me -- in six months I didn't play one game. I wanted to go because for my career it's best to play a lot of games."
Schalke have the option to purchase the 21-year-old in the summer and Nastasic said: "At the moment it's a loan, and at the end of the season we'll see what happens. I already spoke with [Schalke boss Roberto Di Matteo] and he told me about the club and the team."
Nastasic, who made 51 appearances for City, wish them well for the rest of the season, adding: "I hope they win the Premier League and go as far as possible in the Champions League."