As the playmaker continues to set English football alight, off the pitch he prefers nothing more than getting back in touch with nature
The former Genk trainee left the Premier League for a three-year spell in Germany and came back a world-beater.
Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has been one of the Premier League’s best players this season
Kevin De Bruyne has been crucial in sending Man City top of the Premier Leaguee
The baby-faced Belgian, deemed surplus to requirements by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, has returned to be the standout star in a Manchester City team packed full of them – and is up there with Mo Salah as the shining light of this season.
You’ve seen what he can do on the pitch, but here’s five things you might not have known about KDB.
e Bruyne and Courtois have made up following their dramatic training ground bust-up
That bust-up with Courtois really did happen
DE BRUYNE wrote a book about his life called Keep It Simple back in 2014 – and spilled the beans on the infamous love triangle with his Belgian counterpart.
The City star told how a year earlier Chelsea stopper Thibault Courtois stole girlfriend Caroline Lijnen from him, causing a volatile rift between the two international team-mates – and some handbags in training.
He wrote: “My girlfriend Caroline went to Madrid with some friends, and Thibaut had an affair with her.
The two Belgian internationals had a bust-up in training over the scandal
“He then told a friend of mine about it, which wasn’t too clever. You can’t do things like that – and I still think about it now.”
Naturally there’s a twist, with Lijnen claiming later that it was Kev who had been unfaithful first. Crikey.
The pair have since made up, although De Bruyne had the last laugh after his stunning strike beat Courtois in September to give City a 1-0 win at the Bridge.
De Bruyne married his girlfriend Michele Lacroix last summer.
The couple, who have a son together named Mason Milian, have been together since 2014.
De Bruyne and his girlfriend Caroline split after allegations of an affair with Courtois
He’s got his own threads which raise money for charity
FOOTBALLER’s nowadays have their own fashion labels. It’s just part of the course.
But De Bruyne has found a fantastic way of redistributing his image and wealth to those less fortunate.
An ambassador for the Special Olympics, the KDB line of clothing was set up in 2014 and De Bruyne helped create this popup label – of which his part of the profit was donated to the cause.
What a guy.
Kevin De Bruyne poses in his clothing range with wife Michele
His mates call him the ‘Tumble-dryer’
IT’S better than the ‘Belgian James Milner’. Just.
But after a bit of head-scratching, this is actually a pretty decent nickname – because it turns out Kevin not only has a dry sense of humour, but is forthright in everything he says and does.
De Bruyne has freely admitted that he is ‘super chilled’ but once he’s on the field, that desire to win unleashes the beast within.
The Belgian signed a new deal with Manchester City, with wife Michele beside himCredit: Twitter @DeBruyneKev
During his time at Wolfsburg he was forced to apologise after telling a ball-boy to ‘hurry up you motherf****r’. Naturally that got him in a bit of trouble.
Mates have spoken about his spiky WhatsApp messages – and the nickname has since stuck.
He’s a Belgian Bill Oddie
YEP, your favourite playmaker is actually an avid bird watcher.
Seriously. The City slicker loves nothing more than a walk through a nature reserve on his days off – and is passionate about conservation.
In 2014 he became an ambassador to one of the world’s biggest bird sanctuary in Walsrode, Germany, which is home to 675 different species.
Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has been one of the Premier League’s best players this seasonCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
KDB said at the time: “I hope I can help the plight of endangered species of birds and bring more attention through my sponsorship.”
In a bid to raise the sanctuary’s profile Kevin signed autographs at the park and gave away 300 signed footballs.
He’s left defenders in a flap ever since.
SO near yet so far for the tiny African nation.
Kevin’s mother Anna De Bruyne was born there, before moving first to the Ivory Coast and then Ealing where she spent the majority of her childhood. As you do.
De Bruyne’s mum was born in Burundi before moving to England as a child
There were whispers when De Bruyne was a youngster at Genk that he would qualify for England, but that was swiftly out the window once his mother’s birthplace became apparent.
It’s a shame for Burundi because they could do with him – they’ve never qualified for a World Cup or African Cup of Nations finals.
