Kevin De Bruyne admits he is happy to be called one of the best players Pep Guardiola has ever seen and thrives under the added pressure that statement brings.
The Belgium international has been in scintillating form for Manchester City this season and even finished their 4-0 win away to Feyenoord on Wednesday as captain.
De Bruyne is one of the only guaranteed starters in attack for Guardiola and says he is delighted with the praise after finally finding a football home at City.
“It makes me happy (to hear that) hut the other way is it is also a way of putting pressure on me to do well,” he told The Daily Telegraph.
“I have tried to be more consistent since I came here and have had ups and downs but last year and the start this year has been constantly very good for me.
“I’m going with the flow of the team. I feel really good after a good preparation – physically and mentally I’m ready to play and get a lot of confidence from the manager and the teammate around me.
“I’ve been here more than two years so I feel at home with this team now. It’s a good period for me.”
De Bruyne has played a direct hand in 42 goals in 65 Premier League appearances since joining City from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg in 2015 for a club-record £55m fee.
In fact, in that period only Christian Eriksen (30) has registered more Premier League assists than De Bruyne (29).