Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola praised Kevin De Bruyne as one of the Premier League’s finest midfielders after the Belgian confirmed on Friday that he will leave the club at the end of the season after ten years at the Etihad Stadium.
The 33-year-old De Bruyne has won 16 trophies since joining City from German club VfL Wolfsburg in 2015, including six Premier League championships and the Champions League in 2023.
De Bruyne has appeared in 413 games for City, scoring 106 goals and assisting 174 times, including 118 in the Premier League, second only to Ryan Giggs (162).
“One of the greatest midfielders ever to have played in this country, and I think with Manchester City, there is no doubt,” Guardiola said during a press conference on Friday before of Sunday’s Premier League match against Manchester United.
“Greatest, not The Greatest; always be wary of players who played at Maine Road (City’s former stadium); incredible players in the last 20-30 years have also played for this club.”
“But come on, there’s no doubt he’s one of the best because of his consistency in critical games and not-so-important games, as well as his presence every three days. “There is no doubt.”
The Spaniard went on to say that he knew about De Bruyne’s departure a few days before it was revealed, but the news on Friday was still bittersweet.
“It’s a sad day.” A great day since I had the privilege of living with him. He instilled humility in all of us, and his impact on our achievement over the previous decade would have been hard to envision without him.”
When asked if De Bruyne deserved a statue at the stadium among other club greats like as Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany, the coach answered he did. “I bet a lot of money that it will happen,” Guardiola stated.
De Bruyne has made 20 league games this season, despite an injury in September and conditioning issues.
After a challenging season, City will face Nottingham Forest in an FA Cup semifinal on April 26, with the game providing De Bruyne with the opportunity to add to his prize cupboard.
City will also compete in the 32-team Club World Cup in the United States, which runs from June 14 to July 13.
When asked if De Bruyne will play in the Club World Cup, Guardiola replied, “I don’t know. He needs to make a decision. The Club World Cup is new, with contracts… The club must communicate with him, or he must express his intentions.
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