Kevin De Bruyne may have made a meek exit from the World Cup at the group stage with Belgium, but the midfielder remains a key man for Manchester City.
Belgium’s failure to make the knockout stage was a plus for City, whose star player will return for the resumption of the domestic season unburdened by extra fixtures in Qatar. Pep Guardiola may have claimed a few weeks ago that De Bruyne was far from his imperious best, but the 31-year-old playmaker continues to be a big influence in games for City and deserves to be voted Mirror Fans’ Footballer of the Year.
He finished third in the Ballon d’Or, behind winner Karim Benzema and runner-up Sadio Mane, endorsing his status as one of the very best players on the planet. But after he scored a stunning strike in City’s 3-1 win over Brighton in October, Guardiola handed De Bruyne a brutal reality check.
