Kevin De Bruyne bid an emotional farewell to the Etihad Stadium after making his ultimate residence 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 embellished 10-year spell with Metropolis, was performed a video that includes tributes from a bunch 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 gang, De Bruyne mirrored on the legacy he leaves whereas explaining what the membership and metropolis imply to him and his household.
“Manchester is residence, Manchester is the place these little children had been born,” he stated. “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 accomplished as a membership, supporters, teammates we’ve received the whole lot. We made the 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 onerous inside and out of doors the membership to be the perfect 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 associates for all times. We’ll be again for positive quickly.
Tributes to King Kev 🩵 pic.twitter.com/j3GYdsLXiA
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) Might 20, 2025
“This group tries to entertain individuals and win. This group works extremely onerous 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 probably be behind the group like they’ve accomplished with me for the final 10 years. This group can have success that’s for positive.
“You simply need to do effectively and win after which while you win you need to win extra. You need to push the town and we’ve had 5/six parades and that’s been unbelievable to witness the whole lot 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 the whole lot. Who can have 50,00 individuals 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 will even be constructed as a tribute to the indelible mark he has left.
We are going to honour @KevinDeBruyne’s unbelievable 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 at all times be a part of this membership,” De Bruyne stated of that honour.
“I at all times signify a small piece of that and each time I come again with these guys and with household and associates I will see myself standing across the stadium. I’ll at all times 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 loads to lots of people.
“Collectively we’ve constructed an enormous future for you guys, for the membership to carry out the best way this membership will carry out. I do know this has been a little bit of a troublesome yr for us however I feel the group deserves all of the assist from you guys.
“I do know they’re pushing actually onerous and this group will probably be again subsequent yr pushing for all of the titles, so that they deserve this.
“I feel after 10 years it was about time any person let me discuss a bit and it’s time to say goodbye. I will probably be again however we love you and see you quickly.”
