Kevin De Bruyne – the midfield maestro

Kevin De Bruyne is widely regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the world. The captain of both Manchester City and the Belgium national team, the Belgian international has captivated football fans globally with his exceptional vision, remarkable passing range, and unrivaled ability to control the flow of the game from midfield. His unstoppable screamers from distance have become a trademark, further solidifying his reputation. Over his decade-long tenure at Manchester City, De Bruyne has firmly established himself as one of the Premier League’s greatest players and, without question, one of the best midfielders of his generation.

De Bruyne has been Manchester City’s most integral player in the recent past and helped his club achieve continued success having won all major honours at club level with the Cityzens. His trophies include Six Premier League trophies, One Champions League trophy, two FA Cups, five League cups, One Club World Cup. If this wasn’t enough, he has earned numerous personal honours including two-times Premier League Player of the Year, three-times Premier League Playmaker of the Year.

However, he hasn’t reached this level of success without hard work, discipline, struggle, perseverance and ambition. Like many other greats, De Bruyne had to go through failures to achieve success. From humble beginnings playing in the Belgium Pro League to being scouted and bought by English giants Chelsea from Genk in 2012 on a five-and-a-half-years contract, his footballing career had begun well. However, Chelsea believed that he still needed to develop and was therefore sent out on loan to Werder Bremen. After decent performances at Bremen, De Bruyne returned to the Blues next season but failed to  impress coach José Mourinho and he was ultimately sold to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg. At the time what may have seemed like a massive failure to many, proved to be a career-defining move for the Belgian playmaker who ended up having the last laugh.

Regular game time at Wolfsburg resulted in De Bruyne excelling in the playmaking role. In the 2014/15 season, De Bruyne showcased his exceptional ability with 16 goals and 28 assists in 51 games for Wolfsburg helping them win the DFB-Pokal trophy and also ended up winning the German Footballer of the Year award. 

This was just the beginning of his remarkable career. De Bruyne quickly caught the attention of top clubs across Europe with his stellar performances. His brilliance didn’t go unnoticed, and soon enough, Manchester City came calling with a lucrative offer. For De Bruyne, it was an easy decision to return to England, driven by the chance to make an even bigger impact and prove himself in the most competitive league in the world and the rest as they say is history! 

Over the course of the next decade at Manchester City, he evolved from a young, inexperienced player into one of the best central midfielders in the world. Armed with an exceptional passing range and unparalleled vision, the Belgian maestro has continually amazed football fans with his skill set. His talent isn’t limited to his passing alone; De Bruyne’s ability to score from distance, his pinpoint deliveries from set-pieces, and his relentless work off the ball to win possession made him one of the most well-rounded midfielders in the game. With his calm and composed demeanor along with his world-class abilities, De Bruyne has earned the admiration of Manchester City fans, as well as massive respect from rival supporters.

In his Manchester City career, he has made a total of 460 appearances, scoring an incredible 105 goals and bagging a humongous 173 assists. De Bruyne is only behind Ryan Giggs in all-time Premier League assists with 118 assists in the PL so far.

The 2022/23 season added another feather of becoming a treble winner in his jeweled crown as Manchester City won the Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup matching the feat of their inter-city rivals Manchester United from 1998/99. The huge success brought about another major recognition as Kevin De Bruyne earned a third-place finish at the prestigious Ballon d’Or awards in the 2022 edition. 

Since that momentous success though, De Bruyne has suffered recurrent injury issues which have affected both him and his club. The 33-year-old has only played a total of 26 games this season with three goals and six assists which are a major downgrade from his usual exceptional form. 

Some players, however, can’t be judged solely by their form and performances. Even if their displays aren’t as dominant as in their prime due to age or injuries, a player of De Bruyne’s stature possesses the ability to inspire those around him with his undeniable quality and talent. He has set a benchmark not just in the Premier League, but globally, for aspiring young playmaking midfielders. His success is a testament not only to his natural ability, but also to his tireless work ethic, unwavering belief, unrelenting mentality and a calm and composed demeanour.

As Kevin De Bruyne enters the final year of his contract, with Pep Guardiola focused on rejuvenating his midfield with young, dynamic talent, there’s a real possibility that De Bruyne could either leave the Premier League this summer or would be offered a one-year extension. Replacing a player of his calibre and world-class ability is no mean feat for any club, and Manchester City, in particular, will be acutely aware of the challenge. They’ve already felt his absence in midfield this season, underlining just how crucial he has been to their setup.

Whether he stays in the Premier League next season or not, De Bruyne has already cemented his place amongst the Premier League’s all-time greats. He is undoubtedly the best playmaker the league has ever seen, and his departure would be an immense  loss for not just the Cityzens but also the Premier League in general.