Kevin De Bruyne Bids Emotional Farewell To Manchester City After Decade Of Service

Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne confirmed his exit after a decade with the club. The Belgian midfielder gave a heartfelt goodbye speech, promising to return one day and expressing his love for the club and its fans.

WHAT HAPPENED?

De Bruyne made his last appearance at the Etihad in City‘s 3-1 Premier League win against Bournemouth. The 33-year-old captain received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 69th minute. After the final whistle, he took the microphone to say, “After 10 years, it was about time that somebody lets me talk a bit. I just want to say thank you for everything over the years, it has been an unbelievable journey.”

“Like my wife said, without the ups and downs we’ve had, it would not have been a remarkable journey, so we’ve had it all. We felt immense love from you, the fans, the staff, and everybody throughout the club.” He added, “All the victories we’ve had over the years, but also the moments of despair, a new stadium, those journeys we had together and the fights to prove people wrong. It’s time to say goodbye, I’ll be back, but we love you, and see you soon!”

It was an emotional farewell for one of the greatest midfielders the Premier League has ever seen.

De Bruyne went on top say his goodbyes to his team-mates shortly afterwards, and burst into tears as he addressed the dressing room. “I’m not going to do this…When I first signed here, I never thought I would be here 10 years,” he began. And then, as he choked up and tried to hold back the tears, he said: “You guys are my team-mates and I’m going to miss you all. I just want to say thank you very much for this journey. You guys made me feel loved, home, and I felt appreciated throughout the years. I owe this to you guys as well.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

De Bruyne enjoyed plenty of success at Manchester City. During his 10 years with the club, he won a magnificent 17 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023. The club have already announced a statue will be erected in De Bruyne’s honour outside the Etihad Stadium. The playmaker will join Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and more recently Fernandinho in being immortalised outside City’s stadium. De Bruyne has also been honoured with a Mosaic of his famous celebration at the City Football Academy and a road has been named after him at the club’s academy.

The Belgian has been key to City’s domination of English football under Pep Guardiola. He missed a glorious chance to score on his final home game after hammering a close-range shot against the cross bar. However, his influence on the club cannot be understated. City are currently third in the Premier League table as they prepare for life without the gifted Belgian.

WHAT’S NEXT?

There’s been no word yet on where De Bruyne will head next. Former Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards thinks his old club may be making a “huge mistake” in allowing De Bruyne to leave on a free transfer. Jamie Carragher has also suggested the “genius” Belgian can still have a big say in the Premier League, hinting that De Bruyne may stay in English football. At 33 years old, De Bruyne clearly feels he has plenty of football left in him, but it’s still uncertain where he will continue his career.

As for City, they will need to find their creativity from elsewhere. Guardiola’s side did not look short of ideas against Bournemouth, but there’s still no doubt they will miss De Bruyne. Emotional scenes at the Etihad, which saw the entire squad and staff give De Bruyne a guard of honour, illustrated just how much respect and admiration there is for a player who has helped City go from ambitious title challengers to the best team in Europe during his time at the club.