‘Old man’ Kevin De Bruyne, during the preview of Manchester City’s Champions League match against RB Leipzig, elaborated on his statements after the league match with Crystal Palace (0-1) on Monday. Then the 31-year-old playmaker called himself an old man.
De Bruyne did so when asked about his recent dip in form. “I try to do what I always do on the field. I don’t feel like I need to do anything else. And I am already an old man in this sport. I know how it is, that’s fine,” said the Belgian on Saturday. “People know who I am after eight years. I’m not suddenly going to do other things that I’m not good at. Everyone has their own role and it is important that you stick to it.”
‘Old man’ Kevin De Bruyne jokes about age: “When I see you, I am still very young”
Two days later, De Bruyne nuanced his statements with a witticism. “I’m not an old man. When I look at you, I feel quite young,” he smiled at the journalists. “I don’t know how much longer I can go on,” he continued more seriously. “As long as I enjoy it, I will continue to play football. I don’t want to think about quitting just yet. I am a perfectionist, I want to do everything at 100 percent. And I want to stay active at the highest level for as long as possible, but that’s not just up to me.”
De Bruyne also commented on the lesser performance of Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker no longer scores as consistently as in his first months for City. “I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. The opponents may now better anticipate his runs and play more organized. The players are better prepared. And maybe he was a bit more efficient in finishing chances, but we can’t complain about Erling,” the Belgian added.
According to De Bruyne, Haaland feels fine. The midfielder concludes, “People always expect him to score two or three goals, when his average is maybe one goal per game. In recent years, people have said that we didn’t get enough into the sixteen and now they say the opposite again. I don’t think there is a problem. I haven’t heard from the team or from Erling. The team is very happy with him and he is very happy to play with us.”
