Four years since his sudden departure from Live!, Michael Strahan is speaking about his exit.

In an interview with David Marchese for The New York Times, the former NFL player revealed that his sudden exit could have been handled a bit better.

“I was asked to do it by the people who run the network. It was really not a choice. It was a request. But it was treated as if I was the guy who walked in and said, ‘I’m leaving.’ That part was totally misconstrued, mishandled in every way,” he said. “People who should have handled it better have all apologized, but a lot of the damage had already been done. For me, it was like: Move on. Success is the best thing. Just keep on moving.”

Strahan also revealed that he felt like a “sidekick” during his tenure as a co-host alongside Kelly Ripa.

“I’ve had jobs where I got there and felt like ‘Wow, I didn’t know I was supposed to be a sidekick'” he continued. “I thought I was coming here to be a partner.”

The former NFL star then went on to compare the mental demands of television to football.

“But the mental aspect of working in TV is like it was in football. I don’t want to be on the show and feel like everyone else is carrying me,” he said. “I want us all to be successful. I’ve done things where I went in with team concepts, and I got there and realized it’s not about the team. It’s selfish, and I don’t operate well under that.”

Since his exit, Strahan’s relationship with ABC has flourished. He is currently a co-host of Strahan, Sara and Keke alongside Sara Haines and Keke Palmer.

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Photo: ABC/Getty Images

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