Manchester City plan Kevin De Bruyne statue outside the Etihad
Manchester City have confirmed a statue of midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has been commissioned for outside the Etihad Stadium.
Tuesday marked De Bruyne's final City home game as he prepares to leave the club this summer, with the 33-year-old playing the opening 70 minutes of his side's 3-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.
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He was honoured on the Etihad pitch with a tribute video and presentation at full time, and City also announced a statue would be built to celebrate his 10 years at the club
'It means I will always be part of this club,' De Bruyne said. 'Whenever I come back with family and friends, I will be able to see myself so I will always be here.'
De Bruyne follows his former City team-mates Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva in being honoured with a statue outside the Etihad, alongside club greats from the 1960s and 70s Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee and Colin Bell.
De Bruyne announced in April he would be leaving City upon the expiration of his contract in the summer. Since joining the club from Wolfsburg in 2015 he has made 421 appearances, providing 108 goals and 177 assists and winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.
'You just want to do well and win, and then when you win you want to win more,' De Bruyne said. 'We've had five, six parades, that's been incredible. To witness everything that goes around it the city, and all the moments with my team-mates, there's too many to count. It's been an absolute pleasure.'
The Belgium international is yet to confirm where he will play his football next season, but The Athletic reported in May that Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire are the favourites to sign him.
De Bruyne received a guard of honour on and off the pitch on Tuesday as City bounced back from their FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace to beat Bournemouth, while video messages from his family and former team-mates including Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho were played on the Etihad's big screen at full time.
City moved up to third in the Premier League and conclude their 2024-25 top-flight campaign away to Fulham on Sunday.
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