“Seeing this, you probably realise where this is heading” – Kevin de Bruyne was straight as an arrow with his bombshell statement as the Manchester City legend confirmed the changing of the guards at Etihad on Friday. After six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups, one UEFA Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and three Community Shields, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are set to bid De Bruyne an emotional farewell at season end.
Bruyne confirmed on his personal Instagram account that the 33-year-old will bring the curtains down on his glittering 10-year trophy-laden stint at Etihad. Defying a decade of dominance with Guardiola at Manchester City, De Bruyne has ranked himself among the pantheon of greats in the English Premier League. A tailor with a golden needle, the Belgium maestro threaded passes through defence. The 33-year-old created and netted game-changing goals to earn a nod to get considered as the greatest midfielder in the history of the Premier League.
Numbers don’t lie – the former Chelsea and Wolfsburg starlet might just be the greatest midfielder the Premier League has ever seen. Pitting KDB against the holy trinity of English midfield lore-Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Paul Scholes, the Manchester City maestro has a strong case to bid adieu as the greatest of all time.
Only one Assist King in EPL: De Bruyne
Talking about how legends operated as creative midfielders, De Bruyne is in a league of his own when it comes to assisting goals. A stunning rate of 0.42 per game means De Bruyne bagged 118 Premier League assists in 280 appearances. Lampard’s 102 assists came in 609 games (0.17 per game), Gerrard had 92 in 504 (0.18 per game), and Scholes earned 55 in 499 (0.11 per game). Peaking at Etihad in the 2019-2020 season, De Bruyne recorded 20 assists to match Thierry Henry’s single-season record. All these years, De Bruyne was busy lapping the competition?
Goals: Oh boy Lampard has sway!
De Bruyne took care of the assist department, Chelsea legend Frank Lampard was all about goals. Lampard’s exceptional tally of 177 Premier League goals (0.29 per game) made him the highest-scoring midfielder in the league’s history. Frankly, Lampard humbled Gerrard (120 goals – 0.24 per game), Scholes (107/0.21), and De Bruyne (70/ 0.25 per game). Lampard was a goal-machine at Stamford Bridge. Coming back to De Bruyne and his efficiency as goal-scoring midfielder, the Man City superstar outclassed Scholes in goals-per-game rate. The Chelsea-reject also matched Gerrard even though he played fewer minutes. However, Lampard is winning by a landslide margin in goal-scoring domain.
Trophies: Scholes over De Bruyne? But wait…
The beating heart of Manchester United, passmaster Paul Scholes collected 11 Premier League titles in two decades – who can flex the same in top flight football? De Bruyne is ending at six but Scholes played 499 games in the mighty Ferguson era. De Bruyne did what he could in less than 300 games. He had a win rate close to 71% – the highest of the quartet. Lampard’s three titles and Gerrard slipped-up zero (apologies, Stevie G) are trailing big time. Should we end this in a stalemate gents?
4. Impact Icon was Gerrard: One-Man Army at Anfield
Steven Gerrard had 212 goal involvements (120 goals, 92 assists) and the Liverpool legend had a gravitational pull at Anfield. Stevie G masterminded a below-par Liverpool’s Champions League title triumph in 2005. The former England captain came close to ending Liverpool’s league drought in the 2013-14 season. De Bruyne has 188 involvements with Guardiola’s world beaters. Lampard achieved 279 at Chelsea, and Scholes contributed with 162 for Fergie’s men. Gerrard emerged as the knight in shining armour for the Reds in a testing era at Anfield. De Bruyne still made a massive impact as his 754 chances created since 2015 can give Gerrard’s peak seasons a run for the money. The leader of the possession game under Pep versus One-Man Army at Anfield – we need extra time for this one, folks.
5. Scholes vs Gerrard vs Lampard vs De Bruyne: Who is the complete package?
Scholes won everything and even doubled his tally, Lampard was all about goals and grit, Gerrard showcased brute force and pure Anfield passion to become a leader among men. What about De Bruyne? Which one are we talking about? The one with Gerrard-like thunderous strikes, the one with Scholes-esque whose assist tally eclipses Lampard? KDB outclassed Gerrard and Lampard in collecting trophies. De Bruyne was more than a world-class midfielder in his prime. Some might disagree but that’s alright.
The NDTV Verdict: Where are we ranking De Bruyne?
3. Steven Gerrard: The ultimate midfielder undone by Liverpool’s success.
2. Frank Lampard: Goal-scoring king in a No.8 midfielder jersey.
1. Kevin De Bruyne and Paul Scholes: Outnumbered by stats, Scholes had reasonable assists, massive impact and an unmatched trophy cabinet. You don’t need a Zinedine Zidane quote to remind yourself how great Scholes was at Old Trafford. De Bruyne too championed the league and ticked every box like the Manchester United legend.
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