Jose Mourinho’s man management skills left a lot to be desired when it came to one former Chelsea player who they now regret selling a decade on.
Kevin De Bruyne has claimed Jose Mourinho only spoke to him twice during his Chelsea stay.
The Manchester City magician has proved himself as one of the greatest midfielders of all-time in his eight-plus years at the Etihad, leaving egg on the face of the Blues chiefs who let him leave for £18million in January 2014.
As is often the case for young players at Stamford Bridge, De Bruyne was used sparingly despite his obvious talent. He’s opened up on that period of his career in a piece for The Players’ Tribune
“When I was at Chelsea, there was so much in the press about my relationship with Jose Mourinho. But the truth is that I only ever spoke to him twice,” he wrote.
De Bruyne was sent on loan to Werder Bremen after signing from Genk in his native Belgium in a £7m transfer, meaning he spent just six months working with Mourinho before being sold to Wolfsburg.
After a positive year in Germany, he looked to be part of the Special One’s plans – with an approach from Borussia Dortmund knocked back that summer.
He started two of the first four games of the season, but was then pushed aside by Mourinho. “I was on the bench, and I never really got a chance again,” continued De Bruyne. “I didn’t get an explanation. I was just out of favour for some reason.
He admits he wasn’t clear of blame, struggling to keep himself match-fit and therefore not being ready for when the opportunity of a start in the League Cup came about.
“I was a bit naive about the way that you have to handle yourself as a Premier League footballer,” De Bruyne explained.
“What I think most fans don’t realize is that when you’re out of favour at a club, you don’t get nearly the same attention during training. At some clubs, it’s like you don’t exist anymore.”
De Bruyne requested he leave and he did so in the January window, and he very much exists now as he looks to get back into the City side this month while returning to full fitness after his long-term injury lay off since the start of the season
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