Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has named Kevin De Bruyne as one of the best players in Premier League history.
The Spaniard lauded De Bruyne’s technical abilities and highlighted why he rates him above others.
De Bruyne on Friday announced that he was leaving Manchester City with an emotional farewell letter across his social media handles.
The midfielder’s contract at Manchester City is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, making him a free agent in the summer.
Arteta addressed the press on Friday ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League clash with Everton on Saturday.
He was questioned about De Bruyne.
Arteta, who worked with De Bruyne during his time as the assistant manager at Etihad, explained why the City star is one of the best players in the Premier League history.
“[He’s] up there. I don’t know if he’s the one, the two or the three, but for me, he’s one of the best players in the history of the Premier League, without a question about that.
“I’ve never seen, I’ve never played with a player that can execute that precisely at high speed.
“He can be running at 33, 34 kilometres an hour and play the ball 30 metres through two people to the perfect spot. I haven’t seen anybody else do that at that pace.
“I was lucky that I was part of a team that he was very much involved in. What I think makes him special, apart from obviously that technical ability, is how strong he is here because Kevin, he always wants to take the risk, he’s willing to make things happen and when the things don’t go for him, he still continues to try that way and I think that separates him from the rest.”
Arteta left Manchester City in 2019 after he was appointed head coach at Arsenal.
Kevin De Bruyne, meanwhile, won six league titles with City and has recorded 70 goals and 118 assists in 280 league appearances.
The midfielder is second on the league’s all-time assist providers, only behind Ryan Giggs (162).
