The news that this will be the last season for Kevin De Bruyne as a player in Manchester City does not come as a shock. But it is still a source of sorrow. The sight of De Bruyne at his best was one of the most exciting for every fan of football.
The praise that is spent on him will be as great as it deserves. City will certainly honor him in these coming months. Supporters of the opposition may do the same when he starts his farewell trip. Most will appreciate that he is one of the greats of the Premier League.
Notorious, not everyone saw it coming. “I just don't see this,” said Sky Sports' own Paul Merson when City signed him. “I don't see £ 50 million for this player.” Phil Thompson agreed. “Absolutely crazy. He is a good player, but is he a great player? Come on.”
But De Bruyne had already got used to proving people wrong. It was only due to the late developer program of Belgium that his talent was fed. Speaking with the former Academic Chef Eric Abrams from the country, he acknowledged so much.
“If you came to the training sessions,” Abrams told Sky Sports, “I guarantee that you would say,” Okay, the man has something but he is not excellent for me. ” We had some of our clubs that some of these deceased developers had sent away from their academies.
As soon as De Bruyne grew in his body, the talent seemed through it. A title winner with Genk, who gave him a move to Chelsea and it was only his impatience for a key role that lent him on loan to Wolfsburg, where he was called the Bundesliga player of the year.
In City the world saw the best of him, a complete player, a natural force. Technically skilled with both feet, he scored a third of his Premier League goals with his supposedly weaker left foot – just think of that rocket of a shot in the upper corner against Chelsea.
It was one of the 29 goals from outside the area. No player in the past 15 years has scored more Premier League goals from outside the penalty box. Teams defended deep against the city, but with De Bruyne around, protecting that box was no protection at all.
If David Silva was the more natural fit for the style that Guardiola had famous in Barcelona, De Bruyne brought it again for the Premier League, who controlled the game with the physicality he brought on his peak, also overwhelming opponents.
With a slower pace, his creativity could bring the city out of trouble. But when the game would accelerate, he was really in his element, paving games, a box-to-box player for many years. And while he was able to pop up everywhere, he had his favorite zones.
The half space has now become a well-known term, referring to those channels from which sloping crosses can be supplied in the box without beating the full-back. A player is not necessary to find out when De Bruyne can have the ball done.
It became De Bruyne zone, the speed and curls on those crosses – more like passing, in reality – canceling many defense. “It is now at a point where you cannot allow De Bruyne in this room on the right,” Gary Neville told Sky Sports. “He's so good.”
But knowing about it and stopping were two different things and De Bruyne kept creating. The figures are amazing. Of course he has been at the top of the assistantagrams since he signed for Manchester City, a result of his lifespan and his consistent sparkle.
And yet the underlying figures are even more enlightening. The amount of great opportunities he created in the Premier League for city numbers on 194 – that is 65 more than anyone. Only four players even tried half through balls at that time.
Even under a coach for those who were possessing a mantra, De Bruyne has remained a risk car, someone who wants to lose the ball to make magic happen. Guardiola embraced it because the games won for his team – and followed the trophies.
That first Premier League title under Guardiola would not have been won without him. More recently, his role was more peripheral. At the time he was ruthless. He not only played in all except one Premier League match that season, he started 36 of them.
City's player of the year four times, and in the Premier League team of the year more times than that, he was so often the driving force. Champions League Finals were not nice for him, twice early from the field, but he claimed the Grand Prix in 2023.
Since then his powers have fallen a bit, De Bruyne admits that the time is not waiting for anyone. The skill remains. Indeed, even this season, no player in the Premier League creates a chance as regularly when he is on the field. Once the magic.
But it is the Long-Busting Runs of De Bruyne, in combination with that quality, which will continue to exist for the longest memory. He could bully with beauty, handle the dirty side of the game, but also hit a ball as neat as someone ever has. He leaves like a Premier League legend.
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