Manchester City will be hoping Kevin De Bruyne rediscovers his early season form, writes WADE PRETORIUS in SoccerClub magazine.

When Belgium playmaker Kevin De Bruyne swapped Chelsea for Wolfsburg, few Premier League experts expected the precocious talent to ever return to the top flight in England. There are few, if any, examples of talented young stars rebounding strongly enough to stake a claim back among the Premier League’s elite. But the baby-faced De Bruyne is indeed made of sterner stuff.

De Bruyne thrived in the Bundesliga, netting 16 goals and 28 assists in 51 appearances, which caught the eye of Manchester City’s technical team. The Abu Dhabi Group-backed club sanctioned a £55-million move for the Belgian as they began building the perfect team for the incoming manager Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola’s predecessor, Manuel Pellegrini, would come to rue having only one season to call upon the new star’s services, and even then it was cut short by a knee injury. Pellegrini’s loss was Guardiola’s gain as the Belgian has taken to his new manager’s philosophy and vision without the hinderance of having to adjust from the Chilean manager’s game plan.

In fact, the stars have seemingly aligned for Manchester City with De Bruyne’s ejection from Chelsea serving as an added incentive for him to prove that he not only belongs at the top of the English Premier League, but that he also deserves his starting role at a major club. His fast start to the 2016-17 season is proof that he has won the mental battle that comes with his price tag and he has stamped his authority as one of Guardiola’s ‘must-start’ players.

Pellegrini wasn’t wrong in his assessment of De Bruyne when he said he has no doubts that the 25-year-old has the mental, physical, tactical and technical attributes to succeed at City. ‘We like to play attractive, attacking football and bringing in a player like De Bruyne will aid us as we fight on four fronts,’ said Pellegrini.

De Bruyne has been given licence to roam the Etihad pitch under his new manager and after taking time to adjust, the evidence, as with all the best players in the world, is in the performances of the immensely talented Genk youth product.

‘It’s a different role,’ De Bruyne told the Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. ‘It’s a little change but it’s all right. The coach has his own tactics. I play not just as a No 10, but with freedom on attack.’

Former England and Arsenal defender Martin Keown heaped the highest praise on the attacking prowess of Guardiola’s City when he suggested that with Aguero and De Bruyne, City aren’t far behind the standard set by Barcelona’s trio of Messi, Neymar and Suarez.

While that comparison may yet be a bold one, De Bruyne’s exceptional early-season form, budding combination with
the Premier League’s best striker and his determination to prove he belongs among the world’s best has City fans roaring in adulation.

– This article first appeared in Issue 75 of SoccerClub magazine