Last January, Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne suffered a knee injury that slowed his first season at Manchester City. But it was merely a temporary setback. Upon return from the two-month hiatus, De Bruyne, 25, scored three times in his first 10 days back with the team, reminding the footballing world of his remarkable abilities.
The season-opener on August 13 can’t come soon enough for the Belgian attacking midfielder. “I am really excited about the upcoming season. I’ve been here a year now and I’m 100% focused on winning and to take my game to the next level,” he says.
De Bruyne will start the 2016-17 campaign with this renewed excitement, a new manager, Pep Guardiola, at the helm of Manchester City, and a brand new boot on his feet, the Elite Pack pack colourway of the Magista 2.
“I had played in the Mercurial since my teens, but once I had tried out the Magista 2 a few times I was ready to make a change. It is light, so I can cover all the ground I need to, but gives me an improved feel for the ball.”
De Bruyne, a footballer whose ability to change a game embodies the evolution of attacking midfielders. His play is rooted in a capacity to invent opportunities in a flash. “I’m a creative player on the pitch, which makes this is a great boot for me — my foot feels very connected to the ball. The fit is great and I can move quickly in different directions, very confidently,” he explains.
The Magista 2 was created with the idea of the foot itself evolving specifically for the game. Progressing the original mid-cut Magista silhouette, the new boot partners dimensional texture with an obsessively data and player-tested stud configuration.
A 25-gram weight reduction in the new boot, compared to the original Magista provides De Bruyne an edge. Like his childhood hero, the Brasilian legend Ronaldinho, De Bruyne possesses an innate attacking instinct. “No matter the game, I’m always competitive,” he attests. “[Retirement] is a long way off, but that will be one of the biggest things I would probably miss when I stop playing football.”
At 25 years old De Bruyne has a lot of football ahead of him, with his creativity and drive shining through when he speaks about the feeling of providing an assist. “At that moment, I think I’m more focused than anything,” he says, “You just want to be able to help a teammate to score goals so you can win. The excitement comes when the ball goes into the back of the net.”
De Bruyne’s objectives for the season are in place and the confidence boost that a pre-season under Guardiola has imparted is evident, even in the very early stages of pre-season. “I’m excited. I’ve been in a few meetings and been following the training. It’s been a little more tactical as he has a lot of ideas. I’m looking forward to being able to play and put these tactics into practice.”