Manchester City's record £116 million signing Elliot Anderson has revealed that former City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was the player he idolised throughout his rise through Newcastle United's academy.
Anderson made the admission in an interview with Manchester City's official media, saying: "I think Kevin De Bruyne is someone I've hugely looked up to over the past seven or eight years. As I came through the academy at Newcastle, I always wanted to play like him. I've watched him all the time and to be sat here in the same team he was doing it for is so special."
The 23-year-old joined Manchester City from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £116 million, a record fee for a British player. De Bruyne spent 10 years at the Etihad Stadium between 2015 and 2025, winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League and the treble before departing for Napoli last summer.
Anderson's admiration for De Bruyne is not surprising, given the Belgian's status as one of the finest midfielders in Premier League history. He won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice during his time in Manchester and is widely regarded as a model for young midfielders.
Manchester City's director of football Hugo Viana described Anderson as "one of the outstanding young midfield talents in world football right now," adding that the 23-year-old could "become a complete midfielder" with the right development at the Etihad Stadium.
The club has spent considerable resource addressing the void left by De Bruyne's departure, and Anderson's signing suggests they may have found a player who has studied the model they are hoping to replace. Anderson would have been watching De Bruyne at the height of his powers as a 14 or 15-year-old academy player.
The significance of Anderson's admission is considerable, as it suggests he has been studying the right template from a young age. His qualities, such as passing range, ability to control tempo and relentless work rate without the ball, map closely onto what Viana and manager Enzo Maresca identified when deciding to commit £116 million to sign him from Nottingham Forest.
Anderson's De Bruyne admiration tells us that Manchester City's midfield future may be in good hands. His own admission that he modelled his game on De Bruyne from an early age suggests he has been studying the right template from the very beginning of his career in the game.
Manchester City will be hoping that Anderson can fill the gap left by one of the club's all-time greats, and his signing has been met with excitement by fans and pundits alike. The 23-year-old will be looking to make an immediate impact at the Etihad Stadium, and his relationship with De Bruyne will be one to watch.
Source: Yahoo Sports