Kevin De Bruyne – The midfield maestro who’s still going strong

Kevin De Bruyne is widely regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the world. Captain of both Manchester City and the Belgium national team, the 33-year-old has been captivating football fans globally with his exceptional vision, remarkable passing range, and unrivalled ability to control the flow of the game. His unstoppable screamers from distance have become a trademark, further solidifying his reputation.

Over his decade-long stay at Manchester City, De Bruyne has firmly established himself as one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever players and, without question, one of the best midfielders of his generation.

De Bruyne has been arguably City’s most integral player over the years, helping his team achieve continued success and win all the major club honours, including six Premier League trophies, one UEFA Champions League trophy, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups, and one FIFA Club World Cup. If this wasn’t enough, he has earned numerous personal honours, including the Premier League Player of the Year award twice and the Premier League Playmaker of the Year award thrice.

De Bruyne did not reach this level of success without hard work, discipline, struggle, perseverance, and ambition. Like many other greats, he has had to go through failures to achieve success. From humble beginnings, playing in the Belgium Pro League for Genk, to being scouted and bought by English giants Chelsea in 2012, his footballing career had begun well. However, Chelsea believed that he still needed to develop, and so he was sent out on loan to Werder Bremen out in the German Bundesliga. After decent performances at Bremen, De Bruyne returned to the Blues next season, though he failed to impress José Mourinho and was ultimately sent back to Germany as Wolfsburg bought him.

At the time what seemed like a failure 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, he showcased his exceptional ability with 16 goals and 28 assists in 51 games for Wolfsburg, helping them win the DFB-Pokal and picking up the German Footballer of the Year award in the process. 

This was just the beginning of his remarkable career. De Bruyne quickly caught the attention of top clubs across Europe with his stellar performances. Soon enough, Manchester City came calling with a lucrative offer. It was an easy decision to return to England, given De Bruyne was driven by the chance to prove himself in the most competitive league in the world. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Over the course of the next decade at City, De Bruyne would go on from being a young, inexperienced player into one of the best midfielders in the world. With his calm and composed demeanour along with his world-class abilities, he earned the admiration of City fans as well as respect from his rivals.

For the Cityzens, De Bruyne has made a total of 460 appearances, scoring an incredible 105 goals and bagging a humongous 173 assists. He is only behind Ryan Giggs in the all-time Premier League assists tally, with 118 assists in the league so far.

The 2022/23 season added another feather in De Bruyne’s cap as he became a treble winner, helping City win the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup to match the feat of their inter-city rivals, Man United, from 1998/99.  

Since that momentous success, however, De Bruyne has suffered recurrent injury issues. The 33-year-old has only played a total of 26 games this season, registering three goals and six assists—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 stop being as dominant as in their prime due to age or injuries, players of De Bruyne’s stature possess the ability to inspire those around them all the same. He has set a benchmark not just in the Premier League but globally as well. His success is a testament not only to his natural ability but also to his tireless work ethic, unwavering belief, unrelenting mentality, and 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 De Bruyne leaves the Premier League for good this summer. Replacing a player of his calibre and world-class ability is no mean feat for any side, and Manchester City will be acutely aware of the challenge. They’ve already felt his absence in midfield this season, their relatively poor results 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 in the league as an all-time great. He is arguably the best playmaker the league has ever seen, and his departure will be an immense loss for not just the Cityzens but also the English topflight in general.