Kevin De Bruyne bid an emotional farewell to the Etihad Stadium after making his last 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 gained 14 main trophies in a adorned 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 group, 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 youngsters 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 accomplished as a membership, supporters, teammates we’ve gained the whole lot. We made the town, the membership larger 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 very best model of myself and these guys, all people 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 mates for all times. We’ll be again for certain quickly.
Tributes to King Kev 🩵 pic.twitter.com/j3GYdsLXiA
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) May 20, 2025
“This crew tries to entertain individuals and win. This crew works extremely onerous all people behind the scenes and on the pitch. This crew will win sooner or later, with or with out me, and all people within the metropolis, the supporters, shall be behind the crew like they’ve accomplished with me for the final 10 years. This crew could have success that’s for certain.
“You simply need to do properly and win after which whenever 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 depend. 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, however 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) May 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 signify a small piece of that and each time I come again with these guys and with household and mates I will see myself standing across the stadium. I’ll all the time be right here.
“I feel one of the best ways to explain my life with my spouse and my three youngsters is we’ve slot in completely. We perceive the place the membership has come to and why the membership means so much 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 12 months for us however I feel the crew deserves all of the assist from you guys.
“I do know they’re pushing actually onerous and this crew shall be again subsequent 12 months pushing for all of the titles, so that they deserve this.
“I feel after 10 years it was about time any individual let me speak a bit and it’s time to say goodbye. I shall be again however we love you and see you quickly.”
