Following the news that Kevin de Bruyne will be leaving Manchester City at the end of this season, Jamie Carragher has rated the midfielder as an all-time Premier League great.
High praise for Kevin de Bruyne
Jamie Carragher was full of praise for Kevin de Bruyne this weekend, as the Liverpool legend reflected on the career of one of the best midfielders in Premier League history.
The Belgian announced this week that he would be departing Manchester at the end of this season after 10 seasons playing for City.
“For me, he’s been the best player in the Premier League for the last four or five years,” Carragher told Sky Sports ahead of the Manchester derby. “I think that besides Thierry Henry, [he is] the best foreign player we’ve seen in the Premier League. He would get in my all-time Premier League XI.
“He’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen grace our shores and play in our league. When Liverpool and Man City were going head-to-head for league titles for what felt like four or five seasons, he was the difference.”
De Bruyne won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups and a UEFA Champions League during his career with City and he could yet add another medal to the cabinet with an FA Cup semi final against Nottingham Forest coming up.
City are currently favourites to win the Cup for a second time in the last three years. Although hey didn’t win the competition last year City were only denied by Manchester United in the final.
KDB’s leaving announcement
Dear Manchester. 💙 pic.twitter.com/2EdhVYOLti
— Kevin De Bruyne (@KevinDeBruyne) April 4, 2025
A difficult final season for De Bruyne
This year Manchester City has endured one of its worst seasons since De Bruyne joined from Wolfsburg in 2015 but the 33-year-old has struggled for fitness in a season where he has started just 13 games so far.
Despite KDB’s struggles on the pitch this season, Carragher hasn’t forgotten his dominance over the last ten years of success in England.
“Liverpool could match Manchester City, I think, in every other area but that attacking midfielder position. I always felt when Manchester City got the edge by a point or two that Kevin De Bruyne was the difference.” Carragher said.
“But come on, no doubt he’s one of the greatest for sure. The doors are open for the rest of his life. Whatever he wants to do. The impact of some players transcends the pitch. He is one of them.”
De Bruyne currently has 106 goals and 176 assists for City in all competitions on 413 games played. Nobody has had more assists in the Premier League than the midfielder since he signed for City with De Bruyne leading everyone else by 32.
