The Belgian midfielder is a special guest on the latest official Man City podcast with hosts Liam Loftus and former striker Paul Dickov as he talks us through his career.
De Bruyne is now in his 10th season at the Etihad Stadium and is one of our most decorated players, winning 16 major trophies including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
And he says that every player knows they have to deserve their place in the squad with competition fierce for starting positions.
“In the 10 years I’ve been here, I’ve seen many great players, but I’ve not seen many egos,” said De Bruyne on the podcast, which will be available to CITY+ subscribers from 18:00 (UK).
“I feel like everybody knows that everybody’s important.
“I know that if I can’t play for three weeks and I know that if the guy who plays in my position plays really good, he deserves it.
“So I need to know to handle myself in the right way towards my team-mates and everybody else to conduct yourself right on and off the pitch. It makes life so much easier.
“Sometimes there’s bust-ups, but there has to be arguments or fights or whatever but it never goes outside and I love it.”
De Bruyne is now the longest serving member of the squad having joined from German side Wolfsburg in 2015.
He said he is happy to help the younger players to adapt to life at City and that enjoying time at the Etihad is the most important thing.
“It’s a natural process,” our number 17 added. “I think when you’re 24, no one comes to you, you got to Vinnie [Kompany] or David [Silva] or Fernandinho. These are the guys that have been here a long time. I came here with Joe Hart, these were the legends of the club.
“Now sometimes the young players ask me about how things go at this club or they look at you, how you conduct yourself and how the club works.
“I don’t feel like a constant, I’m just a part of City and I take it as it comes.
“I’m just enjoying my time and I’m getting a little bit older, I know that, but I feel good and that’s the main thing.”
De Bruyne added that he feels great after going to the European Championship with Belgium before having a summer break with his family.
Last season, he missed six months of the season after surgery on a hamstring injury and says people expected him to pick up his best form.
While he made an instant impact on his return against Newcastle, scoring and setting up a late equaliser for Oscar Bobb, it took some time to get up to full match fitness
“I feel like being out for six months, people think you come back and you’re going to be like this (perfect),” De Bruyne said.
“Obviously, Newcastle was great but then there were some games when my body was really hurting because I’ve not done this for six months.
“I knew that after these pains from coming back, I knew I needed a really good Euros where I was physically top and then a break.
“And now I feel I’m back to what I was before so let’s hope it keeps going.”
Listen to the full ‘In conversation with Kevin ’ from 18:00 (UK) today, via your CITY+ subscription.
Date and kick-off time confirmed for EFL Trophy clash with Grimsby
Ben Wilkinson’s Under-21s will visit Blundell Park for our final Group G fixture.
In our opening EFL Trophy game in August, the City youngsters drew 1-1 away at Chesterfield earlier this month before then being edged out 4-2 in a penalty shoot-out.
Our next EFL Trophy game will be against Lincoln City on Tuesday, September 24, kick-off 19:00 (UK).
4-In-A-Row Trophy Tour starts in China
City legends Nedum Onuoha and Paul Dickov accompanied our three trophies to Shijiazhuang in what was our first official leg of this season’s Trophy Tour.
The fan event gave almost 400 Supporters Club members the opportunity to see the three trophies with our former players on hand for photos and autographs.
Next, the Trophy Tour continued its journey to Dalian.
Paul and Nedum were joined by former City star Sun Jihai at the Sun Jihai Football Training Base, where they met with young players and showcased the Premier League trophy and the FIFA Club World Cup from last season, alongside the recently won Community Shield.
The event not only celebrated City’s recent triumphs but also paid homage to the contributions of Sun Jihai, a trailblazer in Chinese football.
Following the visit to the training base, the tour moved to Autrus Bar, where 135 OSC members had the chance to interact with the legends and trophies. The day was a testament to the enduring legacy of Manchester City and the Club’s growing influence in China.
Our stay in China concluded concluded in grand style at Beijing’s Dreamland Art Center, where Paul, Nedum and Sun Jihai engaged with an enthusiastic crowd of over 700 OSC members.
The tour’s final event, which showcased our three trophies in front of a huge crowd, coincided with the Premier League opening match against Chelsea.
Fans and legends alike gathered for a thrilling match screening, where they witnessed City’s 2-0-win, courtesy of goals from Erling Haaland and Mateo Kovacic.
The lively atmosphere at Dreamland Art Center was a fitting conclusion to the Trophy Tour, as the City faithful celebrated both the Club’s historic achievements and a victorious start to the new season.
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