The news that this will be the last season of Keven de Bruyne as a player in Manchester City, is not a shock. But it is still a source of sadness. De Bruyne's scene was at the best of the most football fans.
The praise that was demobilized will be great as it deserves. Certainly, the city will honor it in these coming months. Opposition supporters may do the same as the farewell tour. Most of them will estimate that among the Premier League greats.
Badly, not everyone saw it coming. “I just don't see this,” he said Sky Sports“Paul Merceon when City signed it.” I don't see 50 million pounds for this player. Let's go.”
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Pep Guardiola interacts with Kevin de Bruyne's news that he will leave Manchester City
But de Bruyne has already used to prove that people are wrong. Thanks to the developer program late in Belgium, his talent was sponsored. He spoke to the former president of the country, Eric Abrams, on this topic, admitted as much.
“If you come to the training courses,” Abrams said Sky Sports“I guarantee that you will say,“ Well, the man has something but for me it is not great. ”We had some of our clubs who sent some of these late developers away from their academies.
Once de Bruyne slept in his body, he shone talent. A winner with Genk, who prompted him to Chelsea and was just running out of his patience for a major role to transfer him to Wolfsburg on loan, where he won the title of best player in the German league for this year.
In the city, the world saw the best of it, a full player, the strength of nature. Technically with both feet, a third of his goals in the Premier League scored with its left foot that is supposed to be weaker – only think about this missile in the upper corner against Chelsea.
It was one of 29 goals from outside the area. No player has scored over the past fifteen years more Premier League goals than Beyond the Pairty Box. The difference defended the city's depth, but with De Bruyne around it, the protection of this box was not at all protection.
If David Silva is the natural elegance of the style that Guardiola was famous in Barcelona, it was re -imagined de Bruyne for the Premier League, which destroyed that physical game that he brought to football at its peak, and overcame his opponents as well.
At a slower pace, its city's creativity can get out of trouble. But when the game accelerated, it was really in its element, Bestriding games, a square player to a box for many years. While he was able to appear anywhere, he had his favorite regions.
De Bruyne heat map and sonar's passing since the signing of Manchester City
Half an area is now familiar, referring to those channels through which the corner crosses can be delivered to the box without the need to overcome the back. The player does not need to enter the defense when it can make de Bruyne the ball do it.
The DE Bruyne region, speed and curls on these crosses – have become more like a passage – in fact – retreating from many defense. “It is now a point where you cannot allow de Bruyne to enter this space on the right,” said Gary Neville. Sky Sports. “It's good.”
But knowing that and stopping it were two different things and de Bruyne continued to create. Amazing numbers. Of course, it has been at the forefront of auxiliary plans since the signing of Manchester City, as a result of his longevity as well as his fixed brilliance.
However, the basic numbers are more light. The great opportunities he created in the Premier League for the city's numbers in 194 – which is more than 65 of anyone else. Only four players tried half the number of balls at the time.
Even under a coach, keeping his possession was a talisman, De Bruyne remained as dangers, a person ready to lose the ball to achieve magic. Guardiola embraced her because she won games for his team – and followed the prizes.
This first title in the Premier League under Guardiola was not his victory without him. Recently, his role was more terminal. At that time, it was unabated. Not only appeared in every Premier League match in that season, but 36 of them started.
The best player in the city on four occasions, and in the Premier League team more times more, was often the driving force. The European Champions League finals were not kind to him, as he was forced twice from the field early, but he won the big prize in 2023.
Since then, his powers have declined a little, de Bruyne himself admits that the time is not waiting for. The skill remains. In fact, until this season, there is no player in the English Premier League creates a chance regularly as he does when he is on the field. From ever.
Even in this last season, De Bruyne creates more chance than anyone
But these are De Bruyne runs, along with this quality, which will last longer in memory. It could have been bullying with beauty, dealing with the dirty side of the game but also hit a ball like anyone else at all. He leaves the English Premier League legend.