Manchester City icon Kevin De Bruyne has established his legacy as one of the greatest midfielders of the Premier League era, which is something that may still sting Chelsea fans.
Kevin De Bruyne, now aged 33, announced on Friday that he’ll be leaving Man City at the end of the season when his contract expires.
The Belgian star has lit up the Etihad Stadium during 10 years in Manchester, winning 18 trophies in total. He’ll hope to sign off with the FA Cup this campaign before he leaves, too.
The supporters of Chelsea won’t need too much reminding that De Bruyne was on the books at Stamford Bridge for two years earlier in his career.
De Bruyne was a Chelsea player between 2012 and 2014, spending the first 18 months of that developing his game on loan with Genk and Werder Bremen. When he was welcomed into the Blues first team for the 2013/14 season, he made just nine senior appearances before he was sold to Wolfsburg midway through the campaign.
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Jose Mourinho said he was impressed by Kevin De Bruyne just a month before Chelsea sold him
Jose Mourinho was managing Chelsea for the second time when De Bruyne was introduced into their first-team group. However, the attacking midfielder found himself quite far down the pecking order under him.
For most fans, Mourinho is the best manager in Chelsea’s history. It’s one of his biggest blunders allowing De Bruyne to slip through the cracks, though.
It’s interesting to recall that Mourinho was actually very complimentary of De Bruyne’s professionalism and quality just a month before he was sold in the 2014 January transfer window.
He said via The Guardian in December 2013: “Kevin is showing desire and working very hard. I feel sorry for not giving him big opportunities up to now, but he’s working better than ever.
“He’s sad when he’s not selected or playing, but he’s working professionally which, for me, was a change from the beginning. When he works the way he is, he has to have a chance.
“He is selected [in the squad] for the Sunderland game on Wednesday, and he has a block of matches ahead and has to make a mark in them.
“I like him as a player. I’ve learned now how to like him, also, as a kid. He’s a good kid and he’s showing he’s a good professional. Hopefully I can give him enough time on the pitch so he decides to stay in a happy way.”
If Chelsea had played their cards right, perhaps we could’ve seen an all-time great midfield with De Bruyne alongside N’Golo Kante. Instead, the former eventually found his way to Man City, where he’s been truly extraordinary for a decade.
Back in 2022, Kante made De Bruyne’s dream five-a-side team as a nod of respect to the Chelsea legend. We suspect that so many professionals would do the very same with De Bruyne after coming up against him.
For example, current Blues star Romeo Lavia named De Bruyne as his toughest opponent in a recent interview.
Kevin De Bruyne vs Frank Lampard
In terms of Premier League legacy, Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has been in the thick of the conversation for the division’s best central midfielder for a long time. His name so often crops up alongside the likes of Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira.
Now, De Bruyne is a new name that can be added to the endless arguments between fanbases.
Let’s take a look at how Lampard and De Bruyne compare in their respective Premier League careers:
| Player | Clubs played for | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Titles |
| Frank Lampard | Chelsea, West Ham, Manchester City | 611 | 177 | 115 | 3 |
| Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City, Chelsea | 280 | 70 | 118 | 6 |
Of course, we’re naturally going to side with the longevity and volume of goals from Lampard. However, De Bruyne’s CV in England’s top division is quite staggering, so the Man City great deserves to be spoken about alongside the very best midfielders.
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