Statue, Pep's tears & a missed sitter - De Bruyne's emotional farewell

Kevin de Bruyne received an affectional farewell astatine Etihad Stadium for the last clip connected Tuesday nighttime - and the infinitesimal adjacent brought manager Pep Guardiola to tears, who called it a "sad day".

The 33-year-old volition spell down arsenic a Manchester City fable and proclaimed helium volition "always beryllium here" aft the announcement that a statue volition beryllium built, external successful his honour extracurricular the stadium.

Captain De Bruyne is acceptable to depart this summertime and started his past location crippled successful City's 3-1 triumph implicit Bournemouth, but the Premier League large bowed retired successful a somewhat abject manner.

He had the accidental to spell retired successful benignant but missed a first-half sitter and was past sacrificed successful the 2nd fractional aft Mateo Kovacic's sending disconnected - a bittersweet ending for specified an illustrious career.

De Bruyne said successful his post-match speech: "I wanted to play with creativity, I wanted to play with passion. I wanted to bask shot and I anticipation everyone enjoyed it.

"Everybody has pushed maine truthful hard wrong and extracurricular the nine to beryllium the champion mentation of myself and these guys successful beforehand of maine person made maine amended than I was before.

"It's an honour to play with these guys. I've made truthful galore friends for life."

The decade-long relation has produced unprecedented occurrence for City, portion the subordinate has etched himself into the club's past books by taking location an unthinkable 16 winners' medals during that period.

Once the full-time whistle was blown, thing was going to spoil his expansive send-off arsenic City players, unit and supporters paid tribute to their midfield maestro.

Guardiola said: "Everybody saw however overmuch the radical from Manchester City are connected with him and his household and however overmuch emotion [they have].

"Titles are bully and everything that helium has achieved, but erstwhile you permission aft 10 years with this overmuch respect and gratitude, determination is thing other amended than that.

"I americium portion of that, the nine volition instrumentality the decision, but it is simply a bittersweet time and helium volition beryllium missed, determination is nary uncertainty astir that."

Guardiola added: "When Kevin arrived here, I americium beauteous definite helium was not a Man City fan, I don't cognize who helium supports, but I americium beauteous definite helium is simply a instrumentality present and volition beryllium forever.

"That is due to the fact that of the transportation betwixt each the radical and him."

On a nighttime erstwhile 'The Boss' rolled into town, 'The King' waved goodbye for the last time.

De Bruyne's look was plastered everyplace you looked connected accomplishment astatine the stadium and though legendary US vocalist Bruce Springsteen whitethorn person been playing a fewer yards distant astatine the Co-Op Live arena, this was the hottest summons of the day.

Merchandise stalls had scarves emblazoned with De Bruyne's name, arsenic did the shirts of supporters, portion the matchday programme has a mock-up of the subordinate with the crown from the Premier League trophy atop his head.

City had announced successful the lead-up to kick-off that they had dedicated a mosaic and named a roadworthy aft De Bruyne astatine the club's academy.

It was besides fitting that a playmaker that has created specified artistry connected the writer canvass has had a immense mural painted of him successful Manchester's Northern Quarter.

Once chants of "ohh Kevin De Bruyne" to Seven Nations Army died down, determination was a buzz of anticipation each clip helium had his ft connected the ball, consenting him to showcase a extremity oregon assistance for 1 past clip connected their turf.

The large infinitesimal could not person been planned immoderate amended - the shot laid to him connected a plate, successful beforehand of an unfastened goal, a mates of yards out, but De Bruyne successful dilatory question scooped the shot onto the bar.

The 33-year-old had his caput successful his hands, truthful did the returning Rodri connected the seat and City fans each astir arsenic the imagination finale went awry.

"It's terrible," De Bruyne said of the miss. "There's nary excuses. My lad is going to beryllium precise pugnacious connected maine today."

At full-time, a montage of his champion moments implicit the past decennary flashed up connected the surface with messages from the likes of Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, Raheem Sterling and Pablo Zabaleta.

De Bruyne was fixed a defender of honour arsenic helium returned to the transportation with his woman and kids by his side.

Then came the outpouring of emotion.

The erstwhile Chelsea antheral struggled to clasp it unneurotic during his code successful the mediate of the park, arsenic did a tearful Guardiola watching connected from the sidelines.

"We privation you to stay, Kevin de Bruyne, we privation you to stay," was the chant that rung retired from supporters but determination appears to beryllium nary turning back, arsenic helium led his team-mates connected a thigh of appreciation earlier making an exit for 1 past time.

Former City defender Micah Richards said: "He lets his shot bash the talking. He's specified a shy quality but I person been gathering him implicit the years and seeing however humble helium is and however large a subordinate helium is, it is conscionable large to see.

"He has deserved his send-off. Everyone who's played with him speaks highly of him, and to bash what he's 1 successful the Premier League is conscionable sensational."

Guardiola holds De Bruyne is specified precocious esteem that helium described the Belgian arsenic the "second best" passer helium has worked with - aft the large Lionel Messi.

Since his debut successful September 2015, De Bruyne has played 283 top-flight games and has provided 119 assists, 2nd successful the Premier League's all-time database down Ryan Giggs' 162, and scored 72 goals.

Those 190 extremity involvements puts him 4th connected the Premier League database during that play down Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

With 843 chances created during that period, De Bruyne has been, by far, the astir prolific originative subordinate successful the division, with Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes lagging down successful 2nd with 535.

The crippled against Bournemouth was De Bruyne's 142nd and last location league quality for City, with lone David Silva having played much Premier League games astatine the Etihad with 160.

Asked what City meant to him, De Bruyne said it was "home", "family" and that his kid "were Manc".

Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp said connected Sky Sports: "Who is the adjacent De Bruyne successful satellite football? They don't exist. He is similar a unicorn, truthful don't adjacent fuss looking for different KDB.

"There is perfectly nary uncertainty helium is simply a genius. For him it is truthful easy."

De Bruyne has made it wide helium is not abdicating his throne by his ain choice, saying he was surprised not to beryllium offered a caller declaration by the club.

While his adjacent determination could beryllium to Chicago Fire successful the US, attraction volition soon crook to the hard task of uncovering a replacement.

BBC Sport understands City are withdrawing their archetypal involvement successful Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, owing to the soaring costs of immoderate deal, but Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is among the options.

City, though, person 2 players astatine the nine successful Phil Foden and Jack Grealish that person played a bit-part relation this word and could supply the reply if they tin rediscover their form.

"He [De Bruyne] is irreplaceable," said Richards. "I person been disappointed with Phil Foden, but helium needs to measurement up now.

"There is simply a vacancy disposable and this is Foden's time."

De Bruyne added: "To bash what we've done arsenic a club, supporters, teammates we've won everything.

"We made the city, the nine bigger and present they're going to instrumentality over."