David Beckham is celebrated as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats, having made an indelible mark on English football. The former Manchester United midfielder scored 62 goals and provided 83 assists during his 265 top-flight appearances, helping his team secure six major titles. In 2021, he was one of the first eight players to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, a testament to his exceptional talent and impact on the game.
Throughout his illustrious career with the Red Devils, Beckham faced off against a variety of elite players, including clashes with Manchester City on five occasions. Fast forward to today, and with Pep Guardiola’s side reigning supreme in English football—having claimed six top-flight trophies in the last seven years—Beckham has identified one City star he greatly admires.
David Beckham’s High Praise for Kevin De Bruyne
In a recent episode of Rio Ferdinand Presents, Beckham discussed his admiration for Kevin De Bruyne after Ferdinand drew parallels between Beckham’s playing style and that of the current City midfielder. Beckham enthused, “Well, he is good. I would love to play like De Bruyne.”
This isn’t the first time Beckham has expressed his appreciation for De Bruyne. He notably selected the Belgian over Paul Scholes when creating a combined XI of Manchester United’s legendary 1999 team and the current City squad.
Kevin Nolan Weighs in on De Bruyne’s Talent
Beckham isn’t alone in his admiration for De Bruyne; former Premier League midfielder Kevin Nolan also recently compared De Bruyne’s abilities to those of Steven Gerrard. Nolan stated, “Kevin De Bruyne does things that no one else can do. He makes passes no one else can make. I would go as far to say that not even Steven Gerrard could make the passes that we see Kevin De Bruyne do. Gerrard is the best player to have played in the Premier League, the best midfielder to do so, but Kevin De Bruyne is getting closer to him than anyone ever has.”
Since joining Manchester City in 2015 for a then-club record fee of £54 million, De Bruyne has made a remarkable impact, scoring 103 goals and providing 171 assists in 388 appearances across all competitions. Given these impressive stats, it’s easy to understand why Beckham would have loved to emulate De Bruyne’s unique playing style, despite having carved out a highly successful career of his own.
