Kevin De Bruyne

Kevin De Bruyne - The Meteoric rise of the Brilliant Belgian

It is hard to find a player that is just as happy to set goals up rather than score them. Kevin De Bruyne is the perfect example of this type of midfielder.

If you were to ask an average football fan about who they think is the ideal midfielder of the modern game, a lot of them would not even hesitate to take Kevin De Bruyne's name. The Belgian is the embodiment of all the qualities required to succeed in the midfield of one of the most demanding teams in the world.

The Origin Story

It begs the question as to how De Bruyne went from a Chelsea reject to arguably the best Premier League player. It all started back at his hometown club, KVV Drongen, in Belgium in the year 1997. He caught the eye of the local scouts and trained for two more years with Drongen.

Then, an eight-year-old ginger-haired De Bruyne moved to Gent and joined their youth academy. After developing further for three more years, he made his move to Genk's youth set-up. This was a very important step in his life. De Bruyne moved away from his family at the age of 14 and saw them only twice a week.

All of his sacrifices paid off as he got promoted to Genk's first-team squad in 2008 and went on to make his professional club debut a year later.

The Voice of the Team

The Belgian's commitment to craft was beginning to show in his early days as he established himself as someone who does the talking off the pitch and backs it up on it. Even as a youngster, he was outspoken and one of the players the press went to for interviews. Including the one in which he confessed to being a Liverpool fan!

In an anecdote shared by former Genk captain, David Hubert, he explained that it did not matter to De Bruyne if it was a training game or a friendly. He has always been demanding of his teammates, pushing them to perform better, to be better. He just wanted to win.

This intrinsic drive to win along with his spectacular performances took the young midfielder to be a regular starter for the Belgian side. With his five goals and 16 assists, De Bruyne was an integral part of the Genk team which lifted the Belgian league title in 2010/11.

London Calling

In the winter transfer window of 2012, an agreement was made for the transfer of the midfielder to England. On the deadline day, Chelsea paid around seven million pounds for De Bruyne, who would join the club the following summer.

The midfielder was acquired by the club on the persuasion of then-club director Michael Emenalo and immediately loaned out to German side Werder Bremen. After a wonderful season, De Bruyne returned to Stamford Bridge, now under the management of Jose Mourinho.

Fallout with Jose

The tension between the two could be sensed in the beginning, so much so that it could be cut with a knife. So much so that a poor performance by De Bruyne in a League Cup game left Mourinho raging on the touchline.

There are a lot of conspiracy theories revolving around on the internet about the factors contributing to De Bruyne's brief stay in London. But the most enticing one involves his fellow countryman Thibaut Courtois. A lot of rumours say that the current Real Madrid goalkeeper got pretty close to De Bruyne's former love interest, Caroline Lijnen. This caused an emotional disruption in the Belgians locker room relationship which led to Mourinho publicly calling De Bruyne a crybaby.

Redemption at Wolfsburg

After the very harsh treatment at Chelsea, Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg picked De Bruyne up for 18 million pounds, a bargain for a player who was left undesirable at his club. However, it was at Die Wolfe that the Belgian rediscovered his form as well as his morale.

With 42 goal contributions in all competitions in the 2014/15 season, De Bruyne was titled the 2015 Germany Footballer of the Year and led VfL Wolfsburg to DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup victories.

This was the campaign that put De Bruyne's pin on the map of the most exciting players in Europe. One particular offer that piqued the midfielder's interest was from a certain middle-eastern project of Manchester City.

Donning the other Shade of Blue

The acquisition of Germany's best player that season for a whopping 55 million pounds raised quite a few eyebrows in the Mancunian city. However, the Belgian's popularity skyrocketed among the masses as he produced several game-winning performances for the Sky Blues.

One of his finest displays of the season was during the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain, in which he scored two goals over both legs, including the only winning goal in the second leg. That goal led Manchester City to their only semi-final finish in the competition until the 2020/21 season.

As a result of a brilliant season with 31 goal contributions, De Bruyne was also named on the 23-man shortlist for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or.

The Belgian Red Devil

After representing Belgium in the youth scenario for the early part of the 2010s, De Bruyne became a senior team member during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He has ever since been the creative influence operating through the middle as well as the right side of the midfield.

The golden generation of Belgium which was full of superstars like Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne himself finished in third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. That was the nation's highest-ever finish in the competition and a promise that the best is yet to come.

Evolution Under Pep

Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, Pep Guardiola, arrived at Manchester City in the summer of 2016. It is a notable phenomenon that wherever Pep goes, he revolutionises the footballing style of not just that club, but of that country as well.

The same happened at the Etihad, unsurprisingly enough. The Spaniard brought in key signings such as Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Joao Cancelo to name a few. But the team always had De Bruyne at the heart of it.

Under Guardiola's guidance, the Belgian went on to become a midfield maestro and a box-to-box beast at the same time. His gameplay evolved from season to season as well. De Bruyne went from being an attacking midfielder who played behind the #9 to one who often drifted wide to the right to whip in crosses.

The Best Midfielder in the World

De Bruyne was at his creative peak during the 2019/20 season, where he assisted for a record 21 times in the Premier League, on par with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. The Belgian scored 16 goals along the way too, all of which won him the UEFA Midfielder of the Year and the PFA Player of the Year.

As far as attacking midfielders are concerned, De Bruyne has the best technical intelligence. Along with his artistic passing and pinpoint crossing, his technique on the ball is unparalleled. In Pep's own words, he is the only footballer who can sit at the same table as Lionel Messi, which is a complement of the highest order.

The Current Season

Albeit missing some games due to injury, Kevin De Bruyne remains to be a key player in City's squad. With nine goals and 15 assists in 37 appearances this season, De Bruyne will be looking forward to lifting the Premier League as well as the coveted UEFA Champions League with the Blues.

This season, Pep also deployed him in a role that involved minor defensive responsibilities as well. His ability to adapt and improvise in the role that he has been given is a prime example for the budding footballers of the world.

His personality and perseverance on the football field is something that cannot be taught. It all evolves from the sheer passion for the beautiful game. And this passion is what makes Kevin De Bruyne who he is, the best midfielder in the world.

Football is a team sport—the ultimate team sport, in fact—but its fantasy version celebrates only the individual. Fantasy football is fun. It’s amusing.

Download BalleBaazi fantasy app and explore fantasy football like never before.