Kevin De Bruyne To Receive Statue Honour From Manchester City Following Farewell Appearance

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Kevin De Bruyne's farewell from Manchester City was marked by the club's announcement of a statue in his honour outside the Etihad Stadium. This tribute follows his final game against Bournemouth, where City secured a 3-1 victory. Omar Marmoush, Bernardo Silva, and Nico Gonzalez scored, bringing City closer to Champions League qualification. A draw at Fulham will likely secure a top-five finish despite a challenging title defence.

De Bruyne's departure comes as City decided not to renew his contract. During the match, he missed a significant chance to score, hitting the crossbar with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.82. However, this did not overshadow his farewell ceremony. The club announced that De Bruyne would be immortalised alongside Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, and David Silva with statues outside the stadium.

Reflecting on his time at City, De Bruyne said, "It means I will always be part of this club... I will always be here." His decade-long service includes six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups, and a Champions League win since joining from Wolfsburg in 2015. Only David Silva has more Premier League appearances for City than De Bruyne's 284.

In terms of goal involvements for City in the Premier League, De Bruyne ranks second only to Aguero with 190 contributions. He also stands second in the league's all-time assists chart with 118 assists, trailing Ryan Giggs' 162. On Tuesday, he equalled Cesc Fabregas for most goalscoring opportunities created since Opta began recording data in 2003-04, with 846 chances.

This season saw City end without a major trophy for the first time since 2016-17 after losing the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace. Despite this setback, De Bruyne remains optimistic about City's future success. "I know there's been a bit of a tough year for us," he stated. "This team will be back next year pushing for all the titles."

De Bruyne emphasised the importance of support from fans: "The team deserves all the support from you guys." His confidence in City's resilience is evident as he believes they will continue striving for success in upcoming seasons.

The Belgian midfielder leaves behind an impressive legacy at Manchester City. His contributions have significantly shaped the club's recent history and successes. As he departs, fans and teammates alike celebrate his achievements and look forward to seeing him honoured permanently outside their home ground.