Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola broke down into tears as Kevin De Bruyne waved goodbye to the Etihad following his final game there as a City player.
The club opted against renewing his contract for next season, meaning the Belgian midfielder will depart the club after a decade that saw him win the likes of the Champions League and six Premier League titles and play 421 times for the club.
He missed a sitter in his final game at the ground he has called home for so long, blazing over from just yards out, but he did not let that spoil his goodbye after the match.
As the lights went out inside the ground, De Bruyne, alongside his wife Michele Lacroix and their three children, took to the pitch again as the fans sang his name.
City players and officials gave him a guard of honour as he made his way to the centre circle. He stopped the clap the fans in attendance as Guardiola watched on.
It was then he was interviewed and asked how the reception made him feel, to which he replied: ‘Very emotional.’
Guardiola was then seen in tears, as De Bruyne took a moment to collect his thoughts.
A number of former team-mates then appeared on the big screen to send messages of goodwill, including the likes of Sergio Aguero and Riyad Mahrez.
‘Hi Kevin,’ Aguero began. ‘Congratulations for your career, it was an honour to play with you, I wish you all the best my friend, of course you are a legend at Manchester City. And me too. See you bro.’
Messaged from De Bruyne’s family also appeared on the screen, with the five members of the family watching on, struggling to hold it together.
The likes of Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany received loud cheers as they appeared on the big screen, with Joe Hart, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane also among those to pay tribute.
Guardiola, meanwhile, continued to cry as fans again began to chant his name.
‘Manchester is home,’ De Bruyne said as he took to the microphone again. ‘It is where these kids were born.
‘I came here with my wife to stay for a long time. Didn’t expect to stay here for 10 years and do what we have done as a club. We have won everything, made the city and the club bigger and now they are going to take over.
‘I want to play wiht creativity, passion, and enjoy football. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Everybody has pushed me so hard inside and outside the club to be the best version of myself.
‘The guys on the screen and in front of me made me so much better than I was before, it has been such an honour to play with them an I have made so many friends for life, we will be back for sure soon.’
As De Bruyne tried to talk again, fans sang ‘we want you to stay’.
He continued: ‘You just want to do well and win, then you want to win more and poush the City. We had five or six parades, to win is everything. There are too many moments to count, it ha been an absolute pleasure.
‘The fans have been so welcoming from the beginning, and to have almost a full stadium supporting me and my family means everything. It is indescribable and thank you very much.’
The club also confirmed they would build a statue of De Bruyne outside the stadium. Upon that news being revealed – to a large cheer – De Bruyne said: ‘It means I will always be part of this club and I will always represent a small piece. Whenever I come back I will be able to see myself.’
Colin Bell’s wife, Marie, and son, John, then presented De Bruyne with a shirt with De Bruyne’s name and number on – as well as a season card for life alongside other City legends. A mosaic was also presented.
He was given one last chance to speak to the fans on the microphone, and he said: ‘I think the best way to describe my life with my wife and three kids is we fit in perfectly. We understand where the club has gone to and what it means to a lot of people.
‘Together we have built a big future for you guys to perform. I know it has been a bit of a tough year for us but this team supports all the support for you guys. This team will be back next year fighting for the titles. They deserve this.
‘After 10 years it was about time that somebody let me talk a bit. It is time to say goodbye, I will be back but we love you and see you soon.’
The ceremony ended with De Bruyne and his family embarking on a lap of honour around the pitch, and being thrown into the air by his team-mates before leaving the field to another guard of honour.
Former City defender Micah Richards, meanwhile, was left in awe as he paid his own tribute to the 33-year-old. Something, though, according to Richards, wasn’t quite right.
‘To a lot of fans, the greatest ever player to play for Man City,’ Richards said on Sky Sports. ‘I thought the fans were brilliant. And to produce players like De Bruyne and get him in the side, the club have been great to him, he has been great to the club, and it was amazing to see the send-off.
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‘They want him to stay because that is how good he has been for this club. He deserves it.
He continued: ‘I am just so sad. Speaking from my personal view, to let this sort of player leave on a free, it just doesn’t seem right. He has so much more to offer for this football club. But they have made the decision, and it’s not meant to be.
Guardiola, meanwhile, told Sky Sports: ‘I have a mix of feelings. Sad because it is massively important for all of us to share the moment with him. Everyone will have that connection with him forever and we remember how nice it has been for these 10 years.’
De Bruyne’s last game for the club could be away at Fulham next week, with it unclear if he will play in the Club World Cup this summer.
