The news that it will be the last season for Kevin de Bruyne as a player in Manchester will not come as a shock. But it is still a source of sadness. The look de Bruyne at his best was one of the most exciting for any football fan.
Praise will be as big as it deserves. The city will certainly honor him in these upcoming months. Opposition supporters can do the same as they do their farewell tour. Most of them will appreciate that they are among the giants of the Premier League.
Incorrectly, not everyone saw it to come. “I just don’t see that,” he said Sky Sports“I own Paul Merson when the city signed it.” I don’t see £ 50 million for this player. “Phil Thompson agreed.” Absolutely bonkers. He’s a good player, but he’s a great player? Come on. “
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Pep Guardiola reacts to Kevin de Bruyne’s messages to leave Manchester City
But De Bruyne has become accustomed to proveing that people are wrong. His talent was brought up only thanks to the Belgian program of late developers. When he spoke to the former head of the Academy in Eric Abrams, he also acknowledged.
“If you came to training sessions,” Abrams said Sky Sports“I guarantee that you would say,” Okay, the guy has something, but he’s not excellent for me. “We had some of our clubs who sent some of these late developers from their academies.”
As De Bruyne grew into his body, the talent shone. The winner of the title with Genek, who took him move to Chelsea and was just his impatience for the key role that took him to Wolfsburg for a loan, where he was named the Bundesliga player.
In the city of Svět saw the best, complete player, power of nature. Technically adept from both legs, he scored a third of his Premier League goals with his supposedly weaker left foot – just think of the missile shot in the upper corner against Chelsea.
It was one of the 29 goals out of the area. No player has scored more Premier League goals for a penalty box over the past 15 years. The teams prevented deep from the city, but with de Bruyne around, they protected that the boxes were no protection at all.
If David Silva was more natural for the style that Guardiola was famous for in Barcelona, de Bruyne reimaginated it for the Premier League and united that she checked the game of physicality he brought to his top, and overcame her opponents.
At a slower pace, its creativity could get the city out of trouble. But when the game accelerated, he was really in his element for many years, Bestriding Games, a box on a box. And while he was able to appear anywhere, he had his favorite zones.
De Bruyne’s Heat Map and passing Sonar from signature to Manchester City
Half space has now become a well -known term, referring to the channels, from which angle crosses can be delivered to the box without having to beat the entire back. There is no need for the player to get for defense when de Bruyne can get the ball.
It became the zone of de Bruyne, speed and ripple on these crosses – rather as passages, in fact – it caused a lot of defense. “Now he gets to the point where you cannot allow de Bruyne to this space on the right,” said Gary Neville Sky Sports. “He’s so good.”
But knowing about it and stopping it was two different things and de Bruyne continued his work. The numbers are stunning. Of course, since he signed in Manchester City, the result of his longevity and his consistent brilliance.
And yet the basic characters are even more illuminated. The number of great chances he created in the Premier League for the city numbers in 194 – which is 65 more than anyone else. Only four players attempted half the balls at that time.
Even under the coach, for whom the mantra was held, de Bruyne remained a risky recipient, someone willing to lose the ball to become magic. Guardiola accepted it because she won games for her team – and trophies followed.
The first Premier League title under the Guardiola would not be won without him. Recently, his role has been more peripheral. At that time he was persistent. This season he not only performed in all the Premier League games, but 36 of them began.
The city player of the year on four occasions and in the Premier League team of the year was so often driving force. The final of the Champions League was not kind, twice enforced from the field early, but in 2023 he claimed a big price.
Since then, his strength has disappeared a little, De Bruyne himself admitted that time was waiting for anyone. The skill remains. Even this season, no Premier League player creates a chance as regularly as he is on the pitch. Always smoke.
Even this last season de Bruyne creates a chance more often than anyone else
But these are the lung runs de Bruyne, associated with this quality that lasts the longest in memory. He was able to bully with beauty, master the dirty side of the game, but also to strike the ball as purely as anyone else. He leaves as the Premier League legend.
