Gary Lineker has now shared what puts Manchester City No.17 Kevin De Bruyne ahead of legends such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
The 63-year-old made the comments when speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer and Micah Richards.
So, what did Gary Lineker say about Kevin De Bruyne after Manchester City‘s 3-2 win on Saturday? Let’s take a look…
What Lineker said about De Bruyne
Well, the BBC Match of the Day host was asked if the Belgium international is better than the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira.
While Lineker sat on the fence and refused to give a clear answer, he did share the one trait that sets De Bruyne apart from those five midfield icons.
The man from Leicester said: “Out of all of those (Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Vieira and Keane) he (De Bruyne) is probably the most versatile, in the sense that he could play pretty much any role. He could play wide, he could play as a ten, he could play a deeper role. His passing range, he is a wonderful player.”
Spot on.
De Bruyne’s ability to impact games from a number 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 – who called his No.17 a legend after Saturday’s win over Newcastle – puts the Belgian on the right, left or in the centre, it never seems to have a negative impact on his performances.
Manchester City must be laughing
Remember when some sections of the media called De Bruyne overpriced at £55m?
Well, nobody is laughing now.
That £55m investment – sent to VfL Wolfsburg in August 2015 – has arguably turned out to be one of the best transfers in Premier League history, with De Bruyne repaying that fee and then some.
Hopefully – despite the fact he turns 33 in June – Manchester City fans are still able to enjoy the Belgian’s talents for many more years at the Etihad Stadium, despite strong interest from Saudi Arabia.
