Kevin De Bruyne delivers demand for his final weeks as a Manchester City player

After Kevin De Bruyne confirmed he would be leaving Manchester City, the Belgian showed he has no intention of going quietly with a stellar display against Crystal Palace

Kevin De Bruyne’s Manchester City time may be winding down, but the competitive animal inside him will not allow him to go quietly.

De Bruyne has won every trophy in his glittering 10-year spell at City and will go down as arguably the greatest player in the club’s history. But the 33-year-old wants to go out on a high, winning the FA Cup and securing Champions League football for City next season – as he proved with his man-of-the-match display.

“I’m a competitive animal,” said De Bruyne, who sparked City’s comeback against Crystal Palace with a trademark stunning 25-yard free-kick. “I don’t like to lose so, for me, nothing changes.

“I’ve been feeling good for the last six weeks, so I’m really happy. I feel fit and ready to go. I just want to play the football I can play. My job is to play good football and help this team win games. We needed a little bit more intensity and I tried to give a little bit to the team.”

READ MORE: Man City firm up Florian Wirtz transfer interest as Leverkusen eye two players in exchangeREAD MORE: Kevin De Bruyne makes retirement admission after stunning Man City U-turn

Asked about ending his City career on a high by winning the FA Cup and clinching a Champions League place for next season, De Bruyne said: “That’s the goal.

“We want to leave this team in good hands for the next year. This team deserves it. No-one will give it to us – we need to perform like we did today and hopefully we can do that.”

While De Bruyne’s display was a throwback, there was a glimpse into the future with academy graduates Rico Lewis, Nico O’Reilly and James McAtee all starting, the latter two getting on the scoresheet.

“There have been so many good players that have come through the academy in the last 10 years,” said De Bruyne. “They get their chances and their opportunities, and they grab them to help us win games and it will help them with their confidence, so it’s very good for us.”

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