Eriksen: I was a 'black sheep' at Tottenham and got the blame for being the 'bad guy'

Christian Eriksen claims he was a "black sheep" at Tottenham and painted as a "bad guy" after expressing a desire to leave the club at the end of last season.

Eriksen completed a €20 million (£17m$22m) move to Inter from Spurs on January 28, bringing to an end his six-and-a-half-year spell in north London.

The 27-year-old's future was the subject of much speculation over the previous six months, as he publicly expressed a desire to undertake a new challenge away from the club and refused to sign a contract extension.

Eriksen made Jose Mourinho aware of his decision to leave Tottenham as soon as the Portuguese was drafted in to replace Mauricio Pochettino in the managerial hot-seat back in November, and the midfielder was subsequently reduced to a bit-part role in the squad.

The Denmark international felt ostracised by Spurs fans after revealing his intentions at the end of last season, but he "didn't want to hide like a lot of players do" regarding his future.

"I did get the blame for a lot of stuff, for being the bad guy," Eriksen told BBC Sport while opening up on his final six months at Tottenham.

"If you have a short contract, you will be the black sheep. Of course, I did the interview. I was very honest. I felt I had to be honest. I didn't want to hide like a lot of players do. Everyone is different. I was honest. I wanted to say it out loud.

"I did get the blame for a lot of stuff, for being the bad guy. I read I was the bad person in the changing room, that ever since I said I wanted to leave, it was no good me being there. To be honest, over the last few years, if anything came up, any player would think about leaving but I was the guy who said it publicly."

When asked if he was relieved to quiet all the background noise after sealing a switch to Inter, Eriksen responded: "Yes. England, for the last few years, was very hectic. After what I said in the summer, it was just about 'when is he going to leave?' Every game it was 'Is he leaving? Is he not leaving?' Of course, a lot of people were speaking about it.

"Even the fans you see on the street were like 'Thank you, goodbye and good luck'. But I was still there. It was a bit weird. In my head and for my body, it is good that I am in a new place and I can start again."

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Eriksen also sat down to with Gazetta Dello Sport to explain how his Tottenham exit came about, confirming that Mourinho began to build a team without him as soon as he arrived in north London.

"[He told me] to rent his house [In Italy] and then he wished me the best. He knew my wishes, that's why he built the team without me. That's right, I was clear from the start," he said.

The Premier League has turned into a one-horse race this season, with Liverpool establishing a 22-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City at the summit after 25 fixtures.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal have all been unable to keep up, with Eriksen admitting that the rest of the top flight has grown a "little envious" of the Reds.

“Everyone thought it was Manchester City. But when you see Liverpool ... wow, what a show," he added. "They always know what to do, they play "easy", they are extraordinary, what they are doing is incredible.

"They are scary, it's nice to see them, you know that they will win in the end, I think everyone looking at them is a little envious."