Ever since Manchester City made the bold decision of paying a club-record fee of £55 million to sign him back in the summer of 2015, Kevin De Bruyne has repaid every single penny with his all-conquering displays and more.
However, there was plenty of initial scepticism around whether the Belgian international would be able to succeed in the English top-flight, as several fans and pundits could not help but hark back to his rough spell at Chelsea.
Fast forward to the present day and the question surrounding the 31-year-old that is often posed is whether he is the greatest midfielder to have ever graced the Premier League.
During his seven years at the Etihad Stadium so far, there is a strong argument to suggest Kevin De Bruyne may well be already, whilst also having potentially been the stand-out player in the middle of the park in world football during this period.
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The former VfL Wolfsburg talisman’s incredible consistency at the elite level is certainly recognised by his peers, as he remains one of three players in Premier League history to have won the PFA Player of the Year award consecutively.
Several youngsters operating in the division currently - including the likes of Arsenal’s Emile Smith-Rowe and Dejan Kulusevski - have also crowned the Manchester City vice-captain as one of their footballing idols.
As the world bows to Kevin De Bruyne’s greatness, another man that joins the list is none other than the legendary Ronaldinho.
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“(Kevin) De Bruyne is my favourite Red Devil," he said when discussing Belgian players, as relayed by Voetbal Nieuws and translated by Sport Witness.
The Brazilian icon added, “I love his style.
"Okay, he’s not a dribbler like Eden Hazard, but he has great technique."
"He is a great player.”
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Heading into the upcoming Qatar World Cup, the four-time Premier League champion is easily Belgium’s biggest hope, if their declining ‘Golden Generation’ aim to finally win some silverware.
In his side’s latest UEFA Nations League clash against Wales, the decorated midfielder stepped up to the plate once again, with a well-taken goal and assist to lead his country to a 2-1 victory on Friday night.
Considering a player of Ronaldinho’s calibre is a fan of Kevin De Bruyne, he is certainly doing more right than wrong for both club and country.
Topics: Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Belgium, Manchester City, Ronaldinho, Premier League, Football
Srinivas Sadhanand