Mikel hails Kevin De Bruyne as one of Premier League’s greatest amid Man City exit

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Chelsea and Super Eagles midfielder Mikel Obi has paid glowing tribute to Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne following the Belgian’s announcement that he will leave the club at the end of the season after a decade of excellence.

De Bruyne, who has amassed 176 assists in 414 appearances for City, is widely regarded as one of the most influential midfielders in Premier League history.

The 33-year-old is expected to join MLS side Inter Miami, where he could link up with football icon Lionel Messi.

Mikel, who shared a dressing room with De Bruyne during their brief stint together at Chelsea, expressed admiration for the Belgian’s transformation into one of the game’s elite players.

Speaking on the latest episode of the ObiOne Podcast, Mikel reflected on De Bruyne’s impact:

“For him to come into a team that had Yaya Touré and Fernandinho and start performing the way he did straight away, just playing game after game, creating those assists, and scoring goals, is great. He has been fantastic for over a decade.”

He added that De Bruyne’s influence on Manchester City’s sustained success was unparalleled.

“This is the one player you can say that without Kevin De Bruyne, City maybe would have struggled to achieve what they’ve achieved. Because he was that good.”

Despite not being a Manchester City supporter, Mikel admitted he always enjoyed watching De Bruyne play, praising his intelligence, vision, and execution.

“He’s always a joy to watch. The way he touches the ball, the way he passes… he’s absolutely fantastic.”

Mikel believes De Bruyne deserves to be mentioned among the Premier League’s all-time greats:

“He’s in the conversation with Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard. I think he’s top two or three for sure—maybe even above one or two of them.”

De Bruyne’s remarkable trophy haul includes four consecutive Premier League titles and multiple domestic and European honors.

While his contract expires at the end of the season, he may extend his stay briefly to feature in the Club World Cup before making a move.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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