Manchester, April 4 Head coach Pep Guardiola claimed it is a sad day, after midfielder Kevin De Bruyne announced he will be leaving Manchester City at the end of the season.
After joining from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2015, De Bruyne was one of the pillars on which City's decade-long dominance was built. Guardiola admitted his impact and said it would be impossible to imagine the club’s success without him.
“It's a sad day. What he gives all of us which is humanity and of course, I don't have to tell you his influence on our success in the last decade - it would be impossible to imagine without him," said Guardiola in the press conference.
"It's a sad day because a part of us is leaving. When Vincent Kompany left or Sergio Aguero left or David Silva - these players that have made such a big contribution - it's a sad day.
"We still have 10 games and hopefully 11, six games at home, that we can enjoy with our fans and he will get I'm pretty sure, the love and
recognition that he deserves,” he added.
The Belgian has played 413 matches for City. During that period, he has scored 106 times, making him the first City midfielder since Colin Bell to reach a century of goals.
The 33-year-old has won a remarkable 19 major honours with City, including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, one UEFA Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and three Community Shields.
Kevin announced the news on his personal Instagram account on Friday.
"Football led me to all of you and to this city. This city. This club. These people... gave me everything. Chasing my dream, not knowing this period would change my life. I had no choice but to give everything back! And guess what we won everything.
"Whether we like it or not, it's time to say goodbye. Suri, Rome, Mason, Michele, and I are beyond grateful for what this place has meant to our family. 'Manchester' will forever be on our kids' passports- and more importantly, in each of our hearts," the post read.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor