Kevin De Bruyne bid an emotional farewell to the Etihad Stadium after making his closing house look for Manchester Metropolis on Tuesday.
De Bruyne will depart Metropolis on the finish of the season and was given a guard of honour by his teammates after serving to Metropolis to a 3-1 win over Bournemouth that put them on the point of Champions League qualification.
The Belgium worldwide, who has received 14 main trophies in a adorned 10-year spell with Metropolis, was performed a video that includes tributes from a number of former Metropolis colleagues and his spouse and three kids, who joined him on the pitch to say goodbye to the followers on the Etihad.
Addressing the group, De Bruyne mirrored on the legacy he leaves whereas explaining what the membership and metropolis imply to him and his household.
“Manchester is house, Manchester is the place these little children had been born,” he mentioned. “I got here right here with my spouse, Michelle, to remain for a very long time, didn’t count on to be right here 10 years. To do what we’ve completed as a membership, supporters, teammates we’ve received all the things. We made town, the membership greater and now they’re going to take over.
“I wished to play with creativity, I wished to play with ardour. I wished to take pleasure in soccer and I hope everybody loved it. Everyone has pushed me so exhausting inside and outdoors the membership to be the very best model of myself and these guys, everyone we see on the display and these guys in entrance of me have made me higher than I used to be earlier than. It’s an honour to play with these guys. I’ve made so many buddies for all times. We’ll be again for certain quickly.
Tributes to King Kev 🩵 pic.twitter.com/j3GYdsLXiA
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) Might 20, 2025
“This group tries to entertain folks and win. This group works extremely exhausting everyone behind the scenes and on the pitch. This group will win sooner or later, with or with out me, and everyone within the metropolis, the supporters, will likely be behind the group like they’ve completed with me for the final 10 years. This group can have success that’s for certain.
“You simply wish to do effectively and win after which once you win you wish to win extra. You wish to push town and we’ve had 5/six parades and that’s been unimaginable to witness all the things that goes round within the metropolis. All of the moments with these teammates there’s been too many to rely. It’s been a pleasure.”
On the followers, who serenaded De Bruyne with chants of his identify all through the night, De Bruyne added: “They’ve been so welcoming from the start. To have nearly a full stadium supporting my household and me says all the things. Who can have 50,00 folks ready so that you can say goodbye? It’s indescribable and thanks very a lot.”
Earlier within the day a mosaic of De Bruyne was unveiled on the Metropolis Soccer Academy, nevertheless it was revealed {that a} statue of De Bruyne can even be constructed as a tribute to the indelible mark he has left.
We are going to honour @KevinDeBruyne’s unimaginable decade of service to the Membership by commissioning a particular statue celebrating the midfielder’s magnificent Etihad profession 👑
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) Might 20, 2025
“It means I’ll all the time be a part of this membership,” De Bruyne mentioned of that honour.
“I all the time symbolize a small piece of that and at any time when I come again with these guys and with household and buddies I will see myself standing across the stadium. I’ll all the time be right here.
“I feel one of the simplest ways to explain my life with my spouse and my three children is we’ve slot in completely. We perceive the place the membership has come to and why the membership means lots to lots of people.
“Collectively we’ve constructed a giant future for you guys, for the membership to carry out the way in which this membership will carry out. I do know this has been a little bit of a tricky yr for us however I feel the group deserves all of the assist from you guys.
“I do know they’re pushing actually exhausting and this group will likely be again subsequent yr pushing for all of the titles, in order that they deserve this.
“I feel after 10 years it was about time any individual let me discuss a bit and it’s time to say goodbye. I will likely be again however we love you and see you quickly.”
