Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne says he is “honoured” to be named as the new Belgium captain following Eden Hazard’s retirement from international football.

Domenico Tedesco, the coach of the Red Devils, chose playmaker De Bruyne for the job after Eden Hazard, who turned 32 in January and plays for Real Madrid, ended his career after the World Cup last year.

Tedesco took over for Roberto Martinez after the World Cup, and he added Zeno Debast and Romeo Lavia, both 19 years old, to an older team.

“It’s an honour for me to be named and represent the country in this way,” De Bruyne told RTL-TVI television.

“I’m almost 32. I’ve never considered international retirement. I think I can still bring something to the table and help the youngsters,” he added.

Thibaut Courtois, the goalie for Real Madrid, and Romelu Lukaku, the forward for Chelsea, will be De Bruyne’s vice-captains.

After the Red Devils lost in the group stage in Qatar, De Bruyne was one of the players who was criticised.

De Bruyne has played in 97 games for Belgium and scored 25 goals. On Friday, he will lead the team for the first time in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden.

In the campaign for the tournament in Germany next summer, they will also play Austria, Azerbaijan, and Estonia.