May 21 – In his last match at the Etihad Stadium as a Manchester City player, Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne bade an emotional farewell to fans.
Following the final whistle, 50,000 fans remained in their seats, united in tribute, as the Belgian, who won 19 trophies with the club over the course of a decade, prepared to say goodbye. To rapturous applause, De Bruyne stepped on to the pitch with his wife and children by his side. He watched a series of video messages from former teammates – including a touching tribute from his close friend Vincent Kompany.
“This is very emotional,” De Bruyne admitted. “I never thought I’d stay here for 10 years. But Manchester is my home. My children were born here. I don’t think I can describe it any other way than: we were a perfect fit.”
In a 3-1 victory against Bournemouth, Pep Guardiola had surprisingly substituted in the second half. De Bruyne departs City against his will but as one of the defining figures of the club’s golden era.
After joining in 2015 from Wolfsburg, the Belgian midfielder became the heartbeat of Guardiola’s side, combining vision, precision and creativity to devastating effect. With more than 100 assists and 60 goals in the Premier League alone, De Bruyne was instrumental in City’s domestic dominance, winning six league titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, and the club’s first-ever Champions League in 2023.
While the fans will never forget De Bruyne, how does he want to be remembered by Manchester City? “I wanted to play with passion and creativity. I just wanted to enjoy the game – and I hope everyone enjoyed watching me,” he said. “Everyone here has pushed me to be the best version of myself. The lads have made me better. I’ve made so many friends for life. We’ll be back soon.
“This goodbye says everything. Who can say 50,000 people stayed just to wave them off? It’s indescribable. Thank you so much.”
The 2023 Champions League was the cherry on the cake for De Bruyne and City, a club driven by the quest to win Europe’s premier club competition. Two years earlier, City had lost the final against London club Chelsea 1-0 with De Bruyne walking off injured. The Belgian and his side however came good against Inter Milan in Istanbul winning with the same scoreline.
As part of the send-off, De Bruyne was given the news that a statue will be built in his honour outside the stadium. “It means I’ll always be part of the club. When I come back with my kids or friends, I’ll be able to look at myself,” he said.
“After ten years, it’s about time someone let me speak,” he said with a wink – a cheeky reference to the viral clip of him famously shouting “Let me talk!” at a referee during half-time of a match.
City and De Bruyne will wrap up the Premier League season away to Fulham next Sunday.
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