De Bruyne on his final Man City game: “Unbelievable ride”
Kevin de Bruyne said “it has been an unbelievable ride” with Manchester City, as he played his final game at the Etihad Stadium.
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“Unbelievable ride” for De Bruyne
City gave de Bruyne a 3-1 victory on his last game as Omar Marmoush scored a stunner in a 3-1 Premier League win over Bournemouth on Tuesday.
`The 33-year-old announced he will leave City on April, ending his ilustrious 10-year spell with the club.
“[It feels] a bit weird. It’s been an unbelievable ride,” De Bruyne said after the match.
“I want to bring joy to people, play offensive football, creative, that is what I am on the pitch and I want to have fun. It was a joy working really hard and creating something for this club. I’m super proud.”
The Belgian only missed a goal, after a shocking first-half miss.
He smashed Marmoush’s cross off the underside of the bar from close range and held his head in disbelief.
“It’s terrible,” De Bruyne said. “There’s no excuses. My son is going to be very tough on me today.”
De Bruyne hugged his teammates as the crowd gave him a standing ovation when he was subbed off in the 69th minute.
Accompanied by his family, De Bruyne received a post-game guard of honour from City players and staff as fans chanted, “Oh Kevin De Bruyne!”
“To have almost a full stadium supporting my family and me says everything,” De Bruyne said. “Who can have 50,000 people waiting for you to say goodbye? It’s indescribable.”
De Bruyne “will be missed”
Meanwhile, the club announced they will erect a statue of him outside the stadium.
“It means I will always be part of this club,” De Bruyne said.
Widely seen as one of the league’s greatest midfielders, De Bruyne played a key role in City’s success.
The captain helped the team win 16 trophies since joining in 2015, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.
City fans showed their love with a massive “King Kev” banner, while No. 17 shirts filled the stands and some supporters painted their faces with “KDB.”
After the match, a video tribute played featuring former teammates like Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, Fernandinho, Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart, and Leroy Sane.
“Congratulations for your career, it was an honour to play with you, I wish you all the best my friend, of course you are a legend at Manchester City. And me too. See you bro,” Aguero said.
“Everyone was there, it was so, so nice,” manager Pep Guardiola said. “Ten years is a lot of games, a lot of titles, a lot of moments. Today summarised a little bit how much love was there.”
“It’s a sad day. He will be missed. On the other side, I think it was a lovely day for him to make again a contribution to achieve that victory that is of massive importance.”
