Kevin De Bruyne is to be handed a special Manchester City gift handed out to a select amount of players at his swansong on Tuesday night.
In the crucial clash with Bournemouth, City captain De Bruyne, arguably the club’s greatest will bid farewell to the Etihad Stadium after 10 years of service.
A £54 million signing from VFL Wolfsburg, De Bruyne went on to win make more than 400 appearances and win six Premier League titles, as well as five Carabao Cups, two FA Cups and one Champions League.
With his contract expiring in the summer, the two-time PFA Player of the Year announced his exit last month and will move on to a new challenge.
Following on from a tifo which Erling Haaland donated money towards at Wembley, City have a special send-off planned for the Belgian after their penultimate game of the season.
According to an in-depth feature from the Daily Mail, De Bruyne will received signed keepsakes and be subjected to a lightshow honouring his career – while he was also be presented with a lifetime season ticket by the family of City legend Colin Bell.
Kevin De Bruyne will bid farewell to Manchester City after 10 years. Image: Getty
De Bruyne will become the seventh player to receive the rare memento – following on from City greats Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero.
The gesture means the former Chelsea midfielder will always be welcome back at the Etihad Stadium after his contributions to the club history.
Discussing the send-off for De Bruyne in his press conference, Guardiola said: “Kevin will get what he deserves. That is the best compliment for his incredible trajectory.
“What he has done with other legends in the club, it would not have been possible since Sheikh Mansour took over the club to reach another level.”
After the FA Cup final disappointment, De Bruyne was asked about his future and said that he wishes “to play football” when asked if he wants to continue playing in the Premier League.
Kevin De Bruyne couldn’t sign off with an FA Cup final. Image: Getty
He then told reporters, “I will make my decision and you guys will know when I know”.
“I don’t know [If I would like to stay in the Premier League], it depends on who comes,” De Bruyne said.
“Like I said to my Belgian colleagues, I have a family and I have young kids.
“I have to take a decision that works for all of us, not just me.
“When I was 20 years old and all by myself, I could make a decision, and it would be easy, but now it is a bit more complex.”
Confirming he has had talks with clubs, De Bruyne answered, “Maybe” when asked if he could play for another Premier League club.
