Kevin De Bruyne bids emotional farewell to Manchester City
Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne received a standing ovation after his final home game for Manchester City on Tuesday. He will leave the club at the end of the season.
After his team's 3-1 win over Bournemouth, De Bruyne stood in the centre of the pitch and watched a video of his best moments at the club, followed by a video featuring tributes from former teammates including Vincent Kompany.
“Manchester is home, it’s where my kids were born,” said a tearful De Bruyne. “I came here with my wife to stay … to do what we’ve done as a club. We’ve won everything, we made the club bigger.”
"I wanted to play with creativity, I wanted to play with passion"
During his time in Manchester, De Bruyne has won six Premier League titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups and five League Cups. He has also been named Premier League Player of the Season twice.
“I wanted to play with creativity, I wanted to play with passion,” the 33-year-old midfielder from Ghent said. “I wanted to enjoy football and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Everybody has pushed me so hard inside and outside the club to be the best version of myself.”
The club also announced that a statue of him would be erected outside the Etihad Stadium. “It means I’ll always be part of this club,” De Bruyne said. ‘
De Bruyne will leave Manchester City after their final match of the season at Fulham on Sunday. He has not yet signed for another club.
Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne leaves the pitch after playing his last home match for Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, 20 May 2025 © PHOTO PAUL ELLIS / AFP
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