Nathan Ake says £54m Man City ace has surprised everyone with just how good he’s been

Nathan Ake says £54m Man City ace has surprised everyone with just how good he’s been
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Nathan Ake believes Kevin De Bruyne has surprised “everyone” with how well he has performed since returning from his hamstring injury.

After Manchester City’s 2-0 win against Everton, Pep Guardiola revealed that the Belgian international feels “fresh”, both physically and mentally.

Against Newcastle United and Everton, De Bruyne changed the course of the game as a substitute while against Burnley and Brentford, he has started both games and been one of the best players on the pitch.

Nathan Ake says the Kevin De Bruyne form post-injury return has come as a surprise
Richard Dunne believes the £54 million (Manchester City’s official website) man’s return also elevates the Sky Blues to another level.

After all, the treble-winners have had to contend for several trophies without arguably their best player until he was fit to play in the first week of January.

Nathan Ake has claimed that the form of Kevin De Bruyne since his return has come as a surprise, considering he was expected by many to take time before returning to his brilliant best.

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“If you’re out for five or six months normally it takes you a little bit of time but straightaway, he’s been ready to go, from the first moment”, he said (via The Independent).

“I think everyone expected to have to give him a bit of time but he’s been training really well in the gym, he’s worked really hard. You could see on the pitch straightaway, he was ready.”

Kevin De Bruyne must perfectly understand how his body functions at this point

Nathan Ake is spot on, considering it seemed almost unfair to expect Kevin De Bruyne to fire on all cylinders after returning from a long-term hamstring injury.

But considering De Bruyne has been injured on plenty of occasions in his career, at this point, perhaps he understands his body more than ever.

Having been sidelined for long periods due to injury in the 2015/2016, 2018/2019 and 2021/2022 seasons, the five-time Premier League winner must be cognizant of how his body functions after returning to full fitness.

As a result, De Bruyne’s performances since his return to the pitch have been seamlessly dominant and perhaps that is down to his experience of being sidelined in the past.

‘Getting better’… Pep Guardiola says £51m Man City player is actually so ‘special’
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Pep Guardiola has now likened Kevin De Bruyne to a pair of Italian wines, while describing him as “special.”

After Manchester City’s 3-1 victory against Copenhagen in the first leg of the Champions League last 16, the Catalan boss was delighted with the £51 million (Guardian) man’s display.

However, it seemed like Guardiola was unsurprised by De Bruyne’s masterclass as he believes the big-hitters always have an impact in games of such magnitude.

Pep Guardiola hails “special” Kevin De Bruyne
After Manchester City defeated Copenhagen, Pep Guardiola compared Kevin De Bruyne to Italian wines.

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“Kevin De Bruyne is getting better, like good wine! He’s maybe a Brunello di Montalcino or Sassicaia. He’s returned very fresh in his body but also in his mind. His contribution is always special, Kevin is special”, the City boss told Sky Italia.

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Brunello di Montalcino is a type of wine which is produced in the Italian town of Montalcino while Sassicaia is known to be one of Tuscany’s most popular wines.

Kevin De Bruyne is ageing like fine wine
Despite suffering a long-term hamstring injury at the start of the season, which was a blow for Pep Guardiola and Co, Kevin De Bruyne has returned and showcased against Copenhagen that he remains ready to dominate proceedings in a Manchester City shirt for a long time.

After players turn 30, it is common practice for their athleticism to decline and their performances to worsen over time.

But De Bruyne, 32, even proved last season that he is determined to keep getting better and better despite having been at the top of the game for years and is ageing like a pair of fines wines, as Guardiola mentioned.

Several other players would perhaps be content if they even had half the career Kevin De Bruyne has had.

However, the elite players always have a desire to push themselves at all times.

Kevin De Bruyne is no different as he is performing at a world-class level and physically, he looks a lot leaner and stronger than in the past seasons, which may come down to the work he put in behind-the-scenes.