Kevin De Bruyne insists there is no reason why he and Phil Foden cannot play alongside each other.
Three days after he watched from the bench as Foden’s hat-trick inspired Manchester City to victory over Aston Villa, the Belgian took centre stage by racking up his 100th goal for the club with a double in their 4-2 win at Crystal Palace.
This time it was Foden, enjoying arguably the best season of his career, who was among the substitutes but De Bruyne believes it does not have to be a case of one or the other.
City goal no. 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ for @KevinDeBruyne! 👑🩵 pic.twitter.com/CLVYPNwVOf
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 6, 2024
“Phil has been amazing this season so he deserves it, it keeps me on my toes to give me that little push,” he said on the City website.
“It’s possible (to play together in midfield with Foden). When I started with David Silva, nobody thought it would be possible but we managed it in a way.
“David was the older player and I was younger and the runner, now it’s going to be a bit vice versa. I don’t see why not. I don’t think we’ve done it that much. If I can do it with Julian (Alvarez), who is more of a striker, then I can also do it with Phil.
“I just try to be more of an example with the way I am on the pitch. I’m not the person who will tell them how to live their life as that is a personal thing. I try to give my best from day one.
“I’ve been with Phil for about seven years now so I don’t feel he’s a youngster anymore. He’s an established superstar in our team, he’s been here that long. He’s just amazing.”
Saturday’s victory at Selhurst Park ensured City kept up the pressure in their three-way battle for the Premier League title with Arsenal and Liverpool.
And De Bruyne, who is bidding for a fourth straight league title with City, is in no mood to let up.
“The only thing we can do is play as good as possible and get as many points as we can,” he said.
“We have another game on Tuesday (against Real Madrid in the Champions League). We need to have a little rest and then get ready for that one.
“I’m not bored of winning the league. If we were bored, we wouldn’t push like (Saturday). We’ll see.”