Is Kevin De Bruyne the best Premier League midfielder ever?
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Kevin De Bruyne is back for Manchester City, providing a goal and an assist in his side’s 3-2 win over Newcastle on January 13 in his first appearance back after suffering a hamstring injury back in August.
Many fans have suggested that 2023/24 could be an ‘off year’ for Man City, but when saying that, they seem to have forgotten that De Bruyne, arguably the league’s best player, has been missing for almost all of it.
Now that he’s back, KDB isn’t satisfied with just winning the division for Man City once again, but he’ll be more determined than ever to prove that he is, without a doubt, the best midfielder to ever play in the Premier League.
So, Ladbrokes looks at the debate. Is Kevin de Bruyne the best midfielder to ever play in the Premier League, and if not, who is?
Is Kevin de Bruyne the best midfielder in Premier League history?
When it comes to speaking about the best midfielders to have ever played in the Premier League, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Patrick Vieira are the names that are often thrown about, but should De Bruyne now be included in that group?
In terms of titles won, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t… KDB has won the Premier League five times during his Man City career, and that could easily become six by the time the 2023/24 season is over. He’s played a vital role in almost all of those title wins too, popping up some huge goals and assists during those victories too.
The Belgian has been involved in the Premier League Team of the Season on five occasions too, winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season on two occasions as well.
In terms of winning trophies and having an impact on his team while doing so, De Bruyne is up there with the very best. He’s got one of the best CVs in the game and should almost definitely be included in these conversations.
Some may question how De Bruyne’s stats match up with the other midfielders who are often labelled as the best in Premier League history, so let’s take a look.
Below is a breakdown of the appearances, goals and assists from each of the five midfielders who are often regarded as the best in history, with KDB’s stats also included for comparison…
- Kevin De Bruyne – 244 appearances, 65 goals & 103 assists
- Frank Lampard – 609 appearances, 177 goals & 102 assists
- Steven Gerrard – 504 appearances, 120 goals & 92 assists
- Paul Scholes – 499 appearances, 107 goals & 55 assists
- Roy Keane – 366 appearances, 39 goals & 33 assists
- Patrick Vieira – 307 appearances, 31 goals & 34 assists
At the end of the day, it’s hard to compare De Bruyne’s stats with the likes of Keane, Vieira and even Scholes to a certain extent, who played a lot deeper in midfield than him during their playing days.
However, KDB averages a goal contribution every 1.45 games during his spells with both Man City and even Chelsea. Gerrard, who played equally offensively for the majority of his Liverpool career, only averaged a goal or assist every 2.38 games during his career.
As for Lampard, the former Chelsea and Man City midfielder played almost as a second striker for a lot of his career, but even he only averaged a goal contribution every 2.19 games in the Premier League. The stats show that De Bruyne, when compared with players who played a similar role as him, is up there with the very best.
Trophies aren’t the most important metric when analysing how good an individual player is, but it’s disingenuous to completely ignore the accomplishments of players in these debates.
De Bruyne has won five Premier Leagues and counting, which is only two less than Keane, whom he could easily catch by the time his career is over. He’s on six less than Scholes, one of the most decorated players in the league’s history though, and he likely won’t catch his total.
KDB, on the other hand, has obviously won more Premier League’s than Gerrard, who never lifted the trophy. He’s also won two more than Vieira and two more than Lampard. In terms of titles won, De Bruyne’s CV is up there with the very best too.
At the end of the day, the decision of who is the best midfielder in Premier League history is a totally subjective one, but fans who say it’s De Bruyne definitely shouldn’t be scoffed at.
Few players in English football in the 21st century have struck fear into the hearts of fans and rival teams as much as De Bruyne. He’s truly a game-changer and can win matches on his own, and how many players can you say that for?
The Belgian has won it all, both individually and with his team, and has the goal and assist numbers to show just how impactful he’s been during City’s dominant spell over English football.
So, according to this writer, it’s about time we started to acknowledge De Bruyne for what he is, the best midfielder to ever play Premier League football…
Will Man City win the Premier League?
Man City are currently second in the Premier League table, five points behind Liverpool, who lead the pack with 48 points after their first 21 games.
However, City have a game in hand over Liverpool, which if they win, will leave them just two points behind the Reds, with the two teams set to meet in March at Anfield.
With De Bruyne back, and Haaland set to return from injury soon too, Ladbrokes has City as the favourites to win the Premier League, at the price of 4/7.
Liverpool aren’t far behind, at the price of 5/2, but the bookies clearly think that City have enough in the bank to overtake Jurgen Klopp’s side and win the Premier League come May, and De Bruyne will be a major reason why.
All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.
