Emotional Send-Off: De Bruyne's Tearful Goodbye Marked by Statue Unveiling and a Near-Miss Goal

Manchester City Legend Kevin de Bruyne Bids Emotional Farewell in Final Home Game, Misses Sitters, and Retires with a Sad Ending

On Tuesday night, Manchester City's midfield maestro Kevin de Bruyne bid an emotional farewell to fans at Etihad Stadium during the team's 3-1 win over Bournemouth. De Bruyne started his last home game but missed a first-half sitter and was later substituted after Mateo Kovacic's sending off. The 33-year-old Belgian, set to depart this summer, was given a guard of honor and a touching tribute from his teammates and fans.

De Bruyne, who has won 16 titles during his decade-long association with City, said in his post-match speech, "I wanted to play with creativity, I wanted to play with passion. I wanted to enjoy football and I hope everyone enjoyed it. Everybody has pushed me so hard inside and outside the club to be the best version of myself and these guys in front of me have made me better than I was before."

City manager Pep Guardiola called it a "sad day" and said, "When Kevin arrived here, I am pretty sure he was not a Man City fan, I don't know who he supports, but I am pretty sure he is a fan now and will be forever. That is because of the connection between all the people and him."

The numbers speak for themselves, with De Bruyne having played 283 top-flight games, providing 119 assists (second in the Premier League's all-time list), and scoring 72 goals. His 190 goal involvements put him fourth on the Premier League list during that period, behind Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, and Son Heung-min. With 843 chances created, De Bruyne has been the most prolific creative player in the division.

As for the future, City are expected to face difficulties in finding a replacement for De Bruyne, with Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz no longer a target due to high costs. Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is among the options, but City's Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, who have played a bit-part role this term, could also provide answers if they can rediscover their form.

Source: BBC Sports Football