The reason why Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, who is ranked number 17, is superior to players like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard has finally been revealed by Gary Lineker.
Speaking with Alan Shearer and Micah Richards on the podcast The Rest Is Football, the 63-year-old made the remarks.
What was Gary Lineker’s reaction to Kevin De Bruyne following Manchester City’s 3-2 victory on Saturday? Now let’s examine…
Regarding De Bruyne, what Lineker stated
When asked if the Belgium international is superior to players like Gerrard, Lampard, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, and Patrick Vieira, the host of BBC Match of the Day received a question.
Lineker remained neutral and declined to provide a definitive response, but he did have in common the one characteristic that distinguishes De Bruyne from those five midfield greats.
“He (De Bruyne) is probably the most versatile out of all of those (Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Vieira, and Keane), in the sense that he could play pretty much any role,” the man from Leicester stated. He was able to play a deeper role, play wide, and play as a 10. He is a fantastic player because of his passing range.
De Bruyne’s ability to impact games from a lot of areas is something that most players in football struggle to do, including the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Vieira and Keane.
Whether Pep Guardiola plays the Belgian on the right, left, or centre, it never appears to have an adverse effect on his performances. After Saturday’s victory against Newcastle, the manager dubbed his No. 17 a legend.
Manchester City must be smiling.
Do you recall when some media outlets said that De Bruyne was overpriced at £55 million?
Apparently, no one is laughing once more.
With De Bruyne returning that £55 million and more, the August 2015 trade of that player to VfL Wolfsburg may have been one of the greatest in Premier League history.
In spite of Saudi Arabia’s intense interest, maybe Manchester City supporters will be able to appreciate the Belgian’s talents at the Etihad Stadium for many more years to come, even if he turns 33 in June.
