Manchester City have announced that a statue will be erected outside the Etihad Stadium in honour of Kevin De Bruyne, following his farewell appearance against Bournemouth on Tuesday.
This significant gesture celebrates Kevin De Bruyne’s impact on the club and cements his legacy as one of the all-time greats in City’s storied history.
In a pivotal match that propelled City closer to Champions League qualification, they secured a commanding 3-1 victory against Bournemouth, with goals from Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva, and Nico Gonzalez.
Despite facing challenges during their Premier League title defence this season, City now knows that a draw in their final match against Fulham will likely ensure a top-five finish.
At the end of the match, emotions ran high as fans and players bid farewell to De Bruyne, a player regarded as one of the greatest to wear the City jersey.
The Belgian midfielder is set to leave the club after City decided not to renew his contract, marking the end of an era filled with numerous trophies.
During the match, De Bruyne came close to a storybook ending, hitting the crossbar in the first half from a clear opportunity that carried an expected goals (xG) value of 0.82—a miss that left fans holding their breath.
Despite this, the farewell ceremony that followed his final game highlighted the immense respect and admiration he has gained over the years.
De Bruyne joins the likes of Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, and David Silva as players immortalised in bronze outside the stadium.
Reflecting on the significance of the statue, De Bruyne expressed his deep connection to the club, stating, “It means I will always be part of this club. I represent a small piece of that. Whenever I come back with these guys, family, and friends, I will see myself standing around the stadium, and I will always be here.”
He also acknowledged the club’s journey and their importance to many fans, saying, “Together we’ve built a big future for you guys, for the club to perform in a way this club will perform.”
Since arriving from Wolfsburg in 2015, Kevin De Bruyne has been instrumental in City’s success, contributing to the club’s haul of six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups, and the coveted Champions League trophy.
His influence is highlighted by his impressive statistics: he has played 284 Premier League matches for City, trailing only David Silva (309) within the club, and boasts 190 goal involvements, placing him second behind Aguero (231).
Additionally, De Bruyne ranks second on the Premier League’s all-time assists list, with 118 assists, just shy of Ryan Giggs’ record of 162.
His creative prowess continued to shine, as he created two chances in his final game, bringing his total to 846 goal-scoring opportunities, tying him with Cesc Fabregas for the most since Opta began tracking such data in 2003-04.
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