Sven-Goran Eriksson has labelled Kevin De Bruyne the best midfielder in the world, putting him in the same bracket as some of the greatest to ever play the game.
Manchester City's midfield genius has been considered one of the best players in the world for a few years now, but on Monday his place among the greats was cemented at the 2022 Ballon d'Or awards. De Bruyne was voted the third-best male player in the world, beaten only by Bayern Munich attacker Sadio Mane and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.
The 31-year-old seems to get better with each passing season. This campaign he has already set up nine goals in just 10 Premier League outings, while last year he came into form just at the right time to drive City on towards winning the title.
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Former City and England manager Eriksson knows a thing or two about elite midfielders. During his time as Three Lions coach, he worked with England's 'golden generation', which included some of the best midfielders to ever grace the Premier League.
Speaking to OLBG, Eriksson compared De Bruyne to some of those greats, insisting that he is the best in the world because his game encompasses the best traits of past legends.
"I think Kevin De Bruyne is different to David Beckham. Beckham’s right foot was out of this world, the best in the world - passes, shooting and crosses," said Eriksson.
"De Bruyne is more like Steven Gerrard, maybe, box-to-box. But today I think De Bruyne is the best midfielder in the world. I’d pick both De Bruyne and Gerrard, like I did with Gerrard and Lampard. But today I think De Bruyne is the best midfielder in the world."
After City drew a blank against Liverpool on Sunday, De Bruyne will be hoping to inspire the Blues to victory against Brighton on Saturday.
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