Frank Lampard, the former Chelsea player, and current manager, has shed light on the circumstances surrounding Kevin De Bruyne‘s departure from the club in 2014.
De Bruyne, a Belgian footballer, joined Chelsea in January 2012 from Genk for a reported fee of £7 million. News About Nigeria reports
After initially spending the remainder of the season on loan, De Bruyne moved to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for the 2012-13 season.
The following season, he returned to Stamford Bridge but struggled to find his place in the team under the management of Jose Mourinho.
During his second stint at Chelsea, De Bruyne made just nine appearances before being released by the club.
He then joined Wolfsburg, where he rebuilt his reputation and established himself as a prominent figure in European football.
In the summer of 2015, De Bruyne made a transfer to Manchester City, where he has since blossomed into one of the world’s best midfielders.
Speaking about De Bruyne’s departure, Lampard, who was still an active player for Chelsea at the time, admitted that he didn’t have firsthand knowledge of the specifics between De Bruyne and Mourinho.
However, he expressed his respect for the Belgian’s decision to leave the club in search of regular playing time.
He said; “Kevin was fighting more for the No.10 position or one of the two wide players,” he told his press conference.
“When he was with us in his younger days, we were probably quite well stacked in those attacking areas.
“Eden [Hazard] was here, [Andre] Schurrle was here, Juan Mata was here and what I remember from Kevin was a real hunger and desire to come in and play.”
