Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Belgian national team.

A highly rated youngster who has developed into one of the finest midfielders in the game, City secured Kevin De Bruyne’s services in the summer of 2016.

Known as one of the continent’s assist kings, he arrived with a huge reputation, but after just one full season in Manchester it was evident that it was more than justified.

With his creativity and eye for a defence splitting pass, he has gone on to establish himself as one of Pep Guardiola’s key players, winning two Premier Leagues, three Carabao Cups, an FA Cup and the Community Shield in the process.

The Belgian’s senior career began in 2009 with Genk and he went on to become an integral part of their title-winning side, making 17 assists and scoring six goals in the 2010/11 season.

Chelsea moved for De Bruyne in January 2012, though he remained with Genk until the end of that season and spent the following campaign on loan at Werder Bremen.

He impressed in the Bundesliga, scoring 10 goals in 34 starts before his return to Chelsea.

He found first-team opportunities hard to come by, though, and after just nine appearances, De Bruyne signed for Wolfsburg in January 2014.

It was there that he blossomed into one of the best playmakers in world football, hitting 16 goals and breaking the Bundesliga record with 21 assists, as his side finished second and won the German Cup in 2014/15.

His efforts saw him crowned Bundesliga Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year.

Upon his move to City, De Bruyne made significant impact in his debut season and became a huge crowd favourite thanks to a series of match-winning displays.

The 27-year-old became an integral part of the Blues’ attack, orchestrating, providing and often finishing moves that quickly made him indispensable.

Few players have enjoyed such a flying start and his 16 goals and 15 assists bear testament to a stunning first campaign for which he was voted City’s Player of the Season.

2016/17 was also impressive as De Bruyne topped the Premier League assist charts, but it was in the following season that the Belgian hit his peak.

He was instrumental in City’s title win, turning in some magnificent displays which saw him named the Club’s Player of the Season for a second time.

Injury ruined the 27-year-old’s 2018/19 campaign, but he still played his part in an historic campaign, when fit and emerged from the bench to named Man of the Match in the FA Cup final.