“I had a tough year” – Manchester City midfielder offers honest reflection on season whole following Premier League win | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has offered an honest verdict on his 2023/24 season as a whole following the club’s Premier League title triumph over Arsenal.

The Belgian midfielder sustained a second successive hamstring injury during the opening Premier League game of the season against Burnley, following on from the problem that cut short his UEFA Champions League final outing.

As such, the 32-year-old was encouraged to undergo surgery on his hamstring to prevent reoccurrences of the same issue further down the line, but was subsequently ruled out until early January as a direct result.

De Bruyne returned with a remarkable impact on the Manchester City squad, establishing himself as one of the lead providers for goals by the end of the campaign, with 10 assists and four goals to his name in just 18 appearances in the Premier League.

The Manchester City vice-captain has now claimed the Premier League title on six separate occasions, having played a part in Pep Guardiola’s systems at the club since the Catalan’s arrival in the summer of 2016.

Speaking on the subject of Manchester City’s Premier League title win, and how it compares to his previous triumphs working under Pep Guardiola, Kevin De Bruyne was keen to state how it feels just as ‘special’ as the first back in 2017/18.

“It feels as amazing as the first one, we’ve worked so hard, it’s been a tough battle with Arsenal and Liverpool this year, and to be here again, doing something historic is amazing,” De Bruyne explained.

“For me, this is one of my most special titles. I had a tough year being out, but to come back in the way that I did to help the team win and to be at a good level is a great achievement for me this season personally.”

Offering an insight into what exactly makes the Manchester City squad so special, De Bruyne continued by pointing out the absence of egos within Pep Guardiola’s group of players.

“The manager sets the standards, but this team enjoys playing with each other,” said De Bruyne. “It’s not a team with big egos, it’s a team who enjoy playing around with each other and having fun, like today, we ran like crazy because we want to perform well.”

Kevin De Bruyne’s Manchester City contract runs until the end of the 2024/25 season, and Etihad Stadium bosses are expected to push for an agreement over a contract extension, despite interest from Saudi Arabia in his signature.