Signed by Chelsea in January 2012, Kevin De Bruyne was already considered one of the finest rising attacking midfielders. He failed to settle at Chelsea. He first demonstrated his immense skills when he was loaned to Werder Bremen. It wasn’t until he moved to VfL Wolfsburg that he finally made his mark on the European stage. His great performances at Wolfsburg earned him a move to Manchester City. With the arrival of Pep Guardiola as City’s new manager, De Bruyne took his game to the next level. He was instrumental in a record Premier League win in 2017/18 as his side broke 100 points for the first time in history.

Born name

Kevin De Bruyne

nickname

The Ginger Pele

Sun sign

Krebs

Place of birth

Drongen, Ghent, Belgium

nationality

training

Kevin De Bruyne has improved his game and skills at the youth academies of Belgian clubs – Gent and Genk .

occupation

Professional soccer player

family

• Father – Herwig De Bruyne
• Mutter – Anna De Bruyne
• Siblings – Stefanie De Bruyne (Sister)

Manager

Kevin De Bruyne is represented by Patrick De Koster.

Position

Midfielder, winger, attacking midfielder

Shirt Number

7 – KRC Genk, Belgium national team

14 – KRC Genk, VfL Wolfsburg, Belgium national team

17 – Manchester City

15 – FC Chelsea

6 – Werder Bremen

To build

Athletic

Height

5 feet 11¼ inches or 181 cm

weight

73 kg

girlfriend/spouse

Kevin De Bruyne has dated –

1. Caroline Lijnen (2010-2013) – In 2010, De Bruyne started dating Caroline Lijnen. Their relationship became known in November 2014 after the publication of his autobiography, in which he revealed that Lijnen had cheated on him with Belgian teammate Thibaut Courtois. In her interview, Caroline claimed he cheated on her with her best friend in the summer of 2012. So she just came back to him. It emerged that Kevin Thibaut had attacked in Belgium training after learning about the incident.
2. Michèle Lacroix (2014-Present) – In 2014 he started dating Michèle Lacroix. In September 2015, it was announced that they were expecting their first child together. In March 2016, she gave birth to their son, Mason Milian De Bruyne. They married in a lavish wedding in June 2017.

race/ethnicity

White

He is of Belgian descent.

hair colour

Blond

eye color

Blau

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

Blonde Hair

brand promotion

Kevin De Bruyne has a personal endorsement deal with Nike that requires him to wear Nike shoes for his professional matches. He has also appeared in a TV commercial for Nike with other football stars like Neymar, Ronaldinho, Aubameyang, Andrea Pirlo and Coutinho.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XJoon7tsRA

Known for

• To be one of the best playmakers in international football. He has produced brilliant performances for both Manchester City and the Belgium national team.
• His strong presence on the social media platforms. He has over 8 million followers on his official Instagram account.

First football game

In May 2009, Kevin De Bruyne made his professional debut with Genk in a match against Charleroi which his side lost 3–0.

In January 2014, he made his first appearance for Wolfsburg in a 3-1 home loss to Hannover 96.

In September 2015, De Bruyne made his first appearance for Manchester City in a Premier League game against Crystal Palace. He was substituted on by Manuel Pellegrini for the injured Sergio Aguero in the 25th minute of the game.

In August 2010 he made his international start for Belgium national team in an international friendly match against Finland. He couldn’t avoid a 0-1 defeat.

Strengthen

• Dribbling
• speed
• exceed range
• Technical ability
• Vision
• long shots
• reading the game

weaknesses

He has no obvious weaknesses in his game.

First TV show

In 2015, Kevin De Bruyne made his first TV show appearance on Football on the 5th: The EFL Cup .

Kevin De Bruyne favorite things

• Idols – Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldinho

Kevin De Bruyne Facts

1. 1. Kevin was raised primarily by his mother.
   2. He established himself as the first team member for Genk in the 2009/10 season in which his side finished as league champions. He scored 5 goals and recorded 16 goals in 32 league games.
   3. In February 2010, he scored his first professional goal as his side beat Standard Liège 1–0 in the Belgian league.
   4. He scored his first career hat-trick against Club Brugge as Genk won the thrilling competition 5-4 in October 2011.
   5. On the deadline of the 2012 winter transfer window, it was announced that Chelsea had paid £7million to secure his services for five and a half years. However, he was loaned back to Genk for the remaining months of the season.
   6. In August 2012, it was announced that Chelsea had loaned him out to Werder Bremen for a season. In his entire season with Bremen he scored 10 goals in 33 games.
   7. On his return to Chelsea, he failed to find a place in Game 11 under Jose Mourinho. Just 6 months after his return, he decided to force a departure from Chelsea in the winter window.
   8. In January 2014, Wolfsburg paid a £18m (€22m) fee to bring him back to the top of Germany.
   9. In April 2014, he scored his first professional goal for Wolfsburg in his side’s 3–1 away win over Hamburger SV. He ended his debut season with the club by scoring goals against VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Mönchengladbach in the last two games of the season. His team won both games.
   10. In his only full season with the German club, he has outscored every attacking player in the country, finishing the campaign with 16 goals and 27 assists in all competitions.
   11. In the 2014/15 season he scored 10 goals and recorded 21 assists in 34 league games. He was the first player to record 21 assists in the German top flight.
   12. In recognition of his scintillating achievements, he was declared Footballer of the Year in Germany in 2015.
   13. He joined Manchester City in August 2015 when the English club paid a fee of £55m (€75m) to Wolfsburg. It was the highest transfer fee paid for a single player in the club’s history.
   14. He scored his first professional goal for Manchester City in the 2–1 loss to West Ham United in September 2015. His goal came in the first half.
   15. In January 2018, he signed a new contract with Manchester City, extending his stay at the club until 2023. The contract made him one of the highest-paid players in England’s top flight.
   16. In the 2017/18 season he won the English Premier League and League Cup with Manchester City. He scored 8 goals and assisted 16 in the league that season.
   17. At the end of the season he was voted Manchester City Player of the Season. He was also named Premier League Playmaker of the Season.
   18. In August 2018, it was revealed that he had suffered a knee injury in training. His club later discovered that he had a lateral collateral ligament lesion in his right knee. He did not have to undergo surgery but was ruled out for 3 months.
   19. In October 2014 he published his autobiography in collaboration with Borgerhoff & Lamberigts.
   20. De Bruyne didn’t buy his first car until 2015. His first car was a Mercedes, which he bought in preparation for the upcoming birth of his son. Previously, he had relied on club vehicles for his travels.
   21. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.