In Tubize, where Belgium have gathered for another international window, Kevin De Bruyne has returned with a clear sense that his role is evolving. The 35-year-old Napoli midfielder remains willing to serve the Red Devils after a fourth successive World Cup, but he sees the next phase as one in which a younger core must increasingly take charge.
The news from the club
De Bruyne said he was pleased to be back with Belgium and revealed that several team-mates had urged him not to end his international career. Their requests helped persuade him to continue.
“A lot of players asked me to carry on, and that made me want to stay,” he said. “I have come here to help the team.”
The former Manchester City player stressed that the distribution of responsibility must now shift inside the squad. He intends to support the group, but believes others need to begin leading it more prominently.
“The others must take on more responsibility,” De Bruyne said. “It has to be handed over gradually. I am still here to help the group, but it is their turn to take the reins.”
He arrived at the camp saying he had wanted to join the squad and felt well both physically and mentally. De Bruyne also made clear that he can contribute without necessarily starting, pointing to his experience at Napoli of making an impact from the bench.
Belgium’s long-standing generation is now reduced to a small group at international level. De Bruyne remains alongside Romelu Lukaku and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, although Courtois, 34, has agreed not to take part in the Nations League.
De Bruyne has welcomed the early work of new Belgium coach Mark van Bommel. The Dutchman is the sixth manager to oversee the midfielder with the national side since his 2010 debut, following Georges Leekens, Marc Wilmots, Roberto Martínez, Domenico Tedesco and Rudi Garcia.
He said he knew little about Van Bommel before the appointment, but has found the coach direct in conversation and feels he understands the direction being set. Van Bommel asked De Bruyne about his intentions and condition after the World Cup, while the pair have already held meetings and completed a training session focused on the basic principles the new coach wants to establish.
A demanding eleven-day run
Belgium face a schedule of four matches in 11 days, making rotation likely. For De Bruyne, that workload further underlines the value of a broader leadership group and of being ready to influence games in different ways as the Red Devils begin their transition.
