Kevin De Bruyne confirmed, on the eve of Italy-Belgium, that he is staying with the Red Devils. He explained that responsibility should “pass on gradually” and that it is now up to the other players to “take the controls.”
Silly question, but the controls of what, exactly? I reread the quote three times. Nobody mentions a wheel, a cockpit, or even a dressing room with a dashboard. I’m told it’s just an image. Fine, but an image of what?
De Bruyne also said he had met the new head coach, Mark van Bommel, who asked him what he wanted to do after the World Cup. He then spoke to other Red Devils, who asked him to stay. “Lots of players asked me to stay, that gave me the urge to carry on,” he told RTBF. He added that van Bommel’s appointment hadn’t really played a part in his decision: it was his teammates who convinced him, not the coach.
I checked “controls” in my notebook. I’d already written that word next to “take the three points” and “the group is in a good place.” Nobody ever physically takes anything, and yet everyone says it with a very serious face. Anyway, I still have a lot to learn.
De Bruyne added that he is carrying on mainly because he still feels good physically, and that he will in principle retire from the Red Devils in two years, without wanting to look too far ahead. He is 35 and plays for Napoli.
It’s true, we checked: RTBF Sport.
