'I missed this' – Kevin De Bruyne wills Man City to win on Premier League return

Oscar Sanders
14 January 2024

Kevin De Bruyne felt sheer willpower was the decisive factor after his game-changing substitute appearance in Manchester City's Premier League win at Newcastle on Saturday.

De Bruyne came off the bench to score the equaliser and set up Oscar Bobb's late winner as the champions fought back from behind to a claim a 3-2 victory at St James' Park.

It was only the Belgian's second appearance after a five-month lay-off following hamstring surgery in August.

De Bruyne told TNT Sports: "I've missed this. I had a big injury and I needed the time off but I worked hard.

"To come here, to this stadium, in this environment – I think it was more willpower than sharpness.

"I know I'm not able to do that for 90 minutes at the moment but I can put in a shift for 20-25 at full pace. I can feel it in my lungs with the cold, but it can't be any better than this can it?"

City trailed 2-1 at half-time after Newcastle responded to Bernardo Silva's opener with quickfire goals from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

It took the introduction of De Bruyne in the 69th minute to turn the game in City's favour.

He levelled the scores with a fine equaliser just five minutes later and then provided the ball for fellow substitute Bobb to secure victory in stoppage time.

Asked if he had expected to get back up to speed so quickly after injury, De Bruyne said: "No, not at all.

"Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. I've never experienced this in 14 years that I've been playing football.

"But I worked really hard. I tried to change a couple of things because I had the time. When you are playing all the time it is difficult to do different things. Hopefully I can maintain that."

The winning goal sparked jubilant celebrations on the City bench and those scenes were repeated at the final whistle as the gap to leaders Liverpool was cut to two points.

De Bruyne said: "To come here is always difficult and I think everybody was really happy for me, obviously, with everything that happened this year.

"We want to try and compete again for the league and we are there with all the other teams. To win here at St James' Park against a really good Newcastle is tough, so it's important."