After Kevin De Bruyne confirmed that he would leave Manchester City, the Belgian showed that he is not going to go quietly with a fantastic display against Crystal Palace
Kevin De Bruyne's time of Manchester City can end, but the competitive animal in him will not allow him to go calmly.
De Bruyne has won every trophy in his glittering 10-year spell in City and will fall as demonstrably the largest player in the history of the club. But the 33-year-old wants to go to a peak, win the FA Cup and next season the Champions League football for City secure-as he proved with his man-of-the-match display.
“I am a competitive animal,” said De Bruyne, who started the Cityste Crystal Palace comeback with a characteristic stunning 25-yard free kick. “I don't like losing, so nothing changes for me.
“I feel good for the past six weeks, so I am really happy. I feel fit and ready to go. I just want to play the football that I can play. My job is to play good football and help this team to win games. We needed a little more intensity and I tried to give the team a bit.”
When asked about the end of his city career at a peak by winning the FA Cup and getting a Champions League place for next season, De Bruyne said: “That is the goal.
“We want to leave this team in good hands for the following year. This team deserves it. Nobody will give it to us – we have to perform the way we have done today and hopefully we can do that.”
While De Bruyne's display was a throwback, there was a glimpse into the future with Academy graduates Rico Lewis, Nico O'Reilly and James McATEE all starting, the last two to come on the score sheet.
“There have been so many good players who have come through the academy for the past 10 years,” said De Bruyne. “They get their chances and their chances, and they grab them to help us win games and it will help them with their self -confidence, so it's very good for us.”
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