Italian media reach immediate verdict on Kevin De Bruyne after his first day at Napoli

Kevin De Bruyne has only been a Napoli player for one day and Italian media have already made their minds up on the Belgian.

De Bruyne left Manchester City this summer after 10 years when they decided not to renew the 34-year-old's contract - something he made clear he did not agree with. Serie A champions Napoli won the race to sign De Bruyne, where he links up with Belgium teammate Romelu Lukaku and former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.

In fact, McTominay's title-winning impact since signing last year has been mentioned by Italian media as a path De Bruyne could follow in an in-depth article summarising his first day at the club.

Kevin De Bruyne began life at new club Napoli with a glowing endorsement from Italian media.

In a glowing verdict of De Bruyne's first day in Naples Gazzetta Dello Sport claim 'King Kevin is ready to rule Serie A' and declared that Napoli are 'ready to fall in love again' with a superstar like De Bruyne, while the 34-year-old 'cannot wait to feel the effect he has.'

The article reported that adoring Napoli fans found his hotel in Capri this weekend and waited outside for him to return from a day trip, before chasing him back into the lobby in scenes which feel reminsicent of the way McTominay has wowed locals.

De Bruyne reported to Castel Volturno, Napoli's training ground, on Tuesday, where he looked shocked to be given the iconic number 10 on his training kit. That number has been retired for Napoli legend Diego Maradona, prompting De Bruyne to shake his head and look to decline the honour - before a member of staff informed him that the number was only for his training kit.

Yet to be compared to Maradona even in a small way shows the excitement for De Bruyne at his new club. The Gazzetta article continued: "He arrived in Italy with the enthusiasm of a young boy and the experience of someone who's been there for it all and even celebrated a Champions League title.

Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay and ex-Chelsea youngster Billy Gilmour both won Serie A with Napoli last season. (Image: Getty)

"He'll be the most successful player in the squad, a point of reference for everyone in the locker room. With him, Napoli will be even more Premier League-calibre, after the English touch brought 12 months ago by McTominay and [Billy] Gilmour, as well as his friend Romelu.

"Kevin is 34 years old, no longer a kid, but he's used to going fast, creating magic under pressure. And he has an extra motivation in this new adventure: to prove to City that they made a mistake in letting him go."