Vincent Kompany admits he was not impressed with Kevin De Bruyne’s play when they first met at the Belgium national team.
Widely-considered as the best playmaker on the planet, De Bruyne has been a beating heart of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team over the past couple of years.
Only last season, the 29-year-old notched 16 goals and chipped in with 23 assists in all competitions. An overachieving season earned the Belgian star a reputation for being the most creative midfielder at the moment.
Indeed, despite seeing his side surrender the Premier League title to Liverpool, De Bryune is the newly-crowned PFA Player of the Year.
His mesmerizing displays for City only confirmed the Sky Blues were right to dish out £54million in 2015 to bring him from Wolfsburg.
Against this backdrop, Kompany says his compatriot failed to strike him as a world-class potential during their first meeting.
“He [De Bruyne] came into the national team when he was very, very young, and at the time, he really didn’t leave a good impression with me,” said Kompany [via Daily Mirror].
“I thought he just seemed to moan a lo. He tried a lot of things that weren’t coming off at that time when he came, and I said it’s a shame because we could have done with some more talent in the team.
“Anyway, as time went by and then things happened, all of a sudden, before you knew it, he’s the best player we have. I knew it all the time!
“He has an edge, and that’s maybe where, in his first session with the national team, way back when he was 18, was maybe the thing that didn’t come across so well.
“It was because he has an edge, and then he didn’t perform on the pitch, and you’re like ‘well you have an edge and you don’t perform, what’s that all about?’
“But later on, you realize that’s his true strength, you know. He has an edge in everything he does, and he’s got a bit of a mean streak about him as well, where he doesn’t mind getting physical.
“To get the best out of Kevin, you need to play in a certain way. You never get the best out of Kevin if you aren’t an attacking-minded team, and I mean in attacking in every way – pressing, possession, tacking.
“So in terms of Kevin coming to City, and Kevin meeting Pep, really, their paths crossing was the perfect blend for him.
“I don’t think he would have ever have got the most out of his career unless he had worked with Pep.”
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