In the afternoon of Friday in early April, the information Kevin de Bruyne will break up with Manchester City after the 2025 - 2026 season confirmed. Less than 1 hour later, Pep Guardiola - a brilliant years of accompanying - added an affirmation: De Bruyne deserves a statue in front of Etihad.
"Listen, I don't know exactly, but I am willing to bet a lot of money that it will happen," Pep said with a serious and emotional face. "I don't know for sure, but of course, he deserves that level."
Under the shadow of legends
For those who love Manchester City, De Bruyne has been in the legendary group - with Colin Bell and David Silva. But apart from Etihad, that name may reach the heart of the Premier League, can enter the Premier League temple - another story.
Perhaps because of the football memories of the comment gates, the big writers - the people of the "Overlap generation" - are still full of pictures of Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard ... A era that Barclays Premier League is also the strongest magnet for global fans, where those names have carved their names with both quality and nostalgia. How can we consider De Bruyne's position in the highest position when we have not been able to agree to whether Gerrard or Lampard better?
With De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah is probably the only player from modern times. They themselves bring the torch to the latest star generation. The title of the best player in the season usually revolves around the duo; They are outstanding players in the battles between City and Liverpool, never attracting the public's imagination in the same way as the battle between Man United and Arsenal before, perhaps because of the same nostalgia for the days in Barclays.
But De Bruyne should overcome that. He is one of the very few, very few Premier League players that make us recall in 2018, not in 2008, and not in a way that the streets cannot forget. He is not Hatem Ben Arfa, Morten Gamst Pedersen or Adel Taarabt with a fleeting shine.
Affirming in its own way
De Bruyne is the one who comes later. But quietly, steadfast and persistent, he knocked on the door properly. With the passes tearing every defense, with shots that do not need to take momentum but still hit the net, by seasons are always the soul in the play of the strongest team in England.
During a decade, the Citizens won 19 big and small titles, but what made De Bruyne special was not just the wars. It was an incredibly regular level in the creative role: 187 times participated in goals, except for the 2018 - 2019 season when he was absent most of the time due to injury.
Even after the falls due to injury, he always returned stronger. In the 2019-2020 season, in the context of short breath and Liverpool to the throne, Pep allowed De Bruyne to be more free - and he responded with the best season in the personal aspect, comparing Henry's 20 -tectonic record. Some players have been expected to achieve that achievement, with Cesc Fabregas and Mesut Ozil at the right time, but somehow, they never do that, increasing the mystery to Henry's achievements.
De Bruyne should have broken the record if he was not "stripped" of an assist because the ball touched the Arsenal defender before reaching the foot of Gabriel Jesus. "They took my assist in the match against Arsenal," De Bruyne once recounted, half laughed and regretted, "And then use that phase as the opening clip when congratulating my 100th assist. Is it imagined?".
Such memories, both intense, both human, is what makes a different de Bruyne. Sometimes a thunder shot against Chelsea - his former team - as to confirm the new level. When it is a celebration, raise the number 2 and 1 to send to David Silva - who is absent because of a premature son. That baby, Matteo, now 7 years old - the world continues to turn and De Bruyne continues to "produce".
The body has to pay the price
De Bruyne is a person of big nights. The hat-trick with his left foot against Wolves in 2022, the decision goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, the goals against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United ... He appeared at the right time, in the right place, and did the best thing.
And despite scoring many important goals, people still remember him more in the assists: Pass to clear the deck for Leroy Sane in the 7-2 victory over Stoke City, the crosses into the far column for Raheem Sterling or Sergio Aguero, the ball -shaped shots for Erling Haaland. Look at these names, De Bruyne was there during that time. He alone witnessed - and contributed - into almost the whole most glorious period in the history of Man City.
In return, his body also paid. After the FA Cup final in 2023, De Bruyne knew that his hamstring was waiting to break. But he still played, because the Champions League final was only 1 week left. And then the bad thing happened. Serious recurrent injury, adding a herniated disc at the beginning of this season, making the current version of De Bruyne just a shadow of his own. De Bruyne's best qualities seem to be robbed. He made efforts, but the quality was not, and really, sometimes sad to witness it.
Heritage
However, nothing can deprive what he has left. Although this season is the last season, it may be goodbye, but if the journey ends with the second FA Cup in a row, it will be a beautiful ending - gentle but complete - for a true legend.
Do not know tomorrow, when the silver hair of the current generation leads their children and grandchildren passing by Etihad, whether they pointed to the statue of Kevin de Bruyne - if it was erected - and told in an emotional voice that: "In the past, there was a blonde boy, playing football as if writing poetry, passing like weaving, shot like dropping the heart rate of millions of people ...".
De Bruyne's career, after all, is not just a statistical table, trophies or assists. That is emotion! It is a memory of a period when football is not only victory, but also beauty. It was a moment when you looked at a pass and wondered: "How can he see that space?".
And like De Bruyne himself once faced the limit of our body, we would all come back, looking at football with the eyes of nostalgia. But if there is a certain thing, then it is: In the memory of the Premier League - in the temple of illustrious names, Kevin de Bruyne will not be the name just to glance. He is a chapter in the book.
A golden book is written with skillful legs, with his fine eyes, and with his heart never stopped beating the ball.
