Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has shared his thoughts concerning his time with Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.
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The 25-year-old believes his performances for City this season have laid waste to the criticism from his former manager.
De Bruyne told the Daily Mail, “I couldn’t say anything before as I wasn’t playing. If he says something to the press they are going to believe it because at that moment it was the only thing they had to listen to—the only evidence there was.
“But I don’t think I am like he said. I always want to play. I have played hundreds of times in my career and I am only 25. So I think I have answered it quite well.
“At the time at Chelsea, I had already many, many games under my belt. I didn’t feel I was like a normal 20-year-old because I had already played for years in Belgium and then on loan from Chelsea in Germany.”
The Belgian returned from a loan spell in the Bundesliga when Mourinho took over at Stamford Bridge in 2013, but struggled to get a start and moved to get first-team football.
He was sold to Wolfsburg for £18 million but later joined City just a year-and-a-half after for £55 million in the summer transfer window of 2015.
“I have no problem with Jose,” he added. “In some ways it was a good experience. It’s the only experience of not really playing and it gave me another aspect, to realise how to conduct yourself.
“I learned a lot about myself and I am happy with the decision I made to move on.”
City and United go head-to-head in the EFL cup on Wednesday. This is the second time they face each other this season. The first ended 2-1 to City in the English premiership.