Manchester City will be celebrating the career of Kevin De Bruyne after his final home game against Bournemouth on Tuesday
Comments
Sport
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Fans of Manchester City display a tifo in tribute to Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City (not pictured) prior to the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Fans of Manchester City display a tifo in tribute to Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City (not pictured) prior to the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on May 17, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Manchester City fans paid their own tribute to Kevin De Bruyne at Wembley
Manchester City will celebrate the career of Kevin De Bruyne with a special presentation at the end of the Bournemouth game. At the conclusion of the Premier League match, fans are asked to stay behind if they can to hear from the player after his final appearance at the Etihad.
It has been an unhappy ending for De Bruyne at City as he leaves the club despite believing he can still perform at the top level. However, it has been a magnificent ten years for one of the finest players seen in English football.
Despite the jeopardy around City's game with Bournemouth as they chase Champions League qualification, nothing will stop the club from honouring the amazing memories that the Belgian has given them. In a presentation expected to last for 20 minutes after the final whistle on Tuesday, De Bruyne will be given the chance to say farewell to the fans who have adored him.
He will be presented with a lifelong season ticket by Jon and Marie Bell, the son and wife of Colin - commonly accepted as the greatest ever City player and the man with a stand named after him at the ground. There will also be a light show marking his best memories as a Blue with everything he has won with the club.
There will also be a short interview with De Bruyne where he will be able to thank the fans for their support over the years, and a guard of honour from teammates and coaches as well as a lap of appreciation.
City fans raised over £11,000 in a day for a pre-match display for De Bruyne at Wembley on Saturday, with the 34-year-old sharing the images on social media in recognition of the support. He was unable to help the team to victory on the day but will be hoping to have an impact against Bournemouth.
Fulham away on Sunday is expected to be De Bruyne's final appearance for the club despite being under contract for the start of the Club World Cup. No discussions have been had with the club over him playing in the tournament and, speaking at the weekend, he suggested that it would not be in his interests to play it.
"I think in a way I have to take care of myself because if I get injured in the Club World Cup, what am I going to do?" he asked. "Nobody's going to take care of me at that point. So there's a big chance probably I won't play it, but I don't know, maybe yes.
"[The situation] doesn't make any sense, but I think that happens when you push in new tournaments in the middle of this contract situation. But I'm just a player. I don't make the rules, I can't do anything about it. So in the end, like I said, I'll probably have to take care of myself what is a normal decision. We can speak about it but I don't know."
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
*And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.*