‘Always angry’ – Ex-Chelsea man labels De Bruyne ‘bad trainer’ as he recalls bust-up with star
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has stated Kevin De Bruyne “wasn’t the best trainer” during his time at Stamford Bridge, as he detailed a “massive fight” between the midfielder and Samuel Eto’o.
De Bruyne is now one of the most impressive players in the Premier League. The Manchester City star has won the league five times, racking up 243 appearances in the competition, as well as the fourth-most assists in the league’s history (102).
At one point in time, though, things might not have ended that way. De Bruyne spent two seasons with Chelsea – the first of which he spent out on loan – before it was quickly decided after only nine appearances that he was not right for them, and he was shipped out.
Former Blues man Mikel has now spoken out about the star’s poor attitude during his time at the club, which can’t have helped his chances, particularly under the management of Jose Mourinho.
“I think Kevin De Bruyne wasn’t the best trainer back then,” he said on The Obi One Podcast.
“He was somebody that comes to training, and probably because he wasn’t playing that much, always having his head down, always angry and sulking. He was like a kid who came to the playground and nobody wanted to play with him.”
Mikel recalls a training ground bust-up between De Bruyne and Eto’o, as the striker felt the youngster was not trying.
“I remember when Samuel Eto’o had a go at him and they had a massive fight on the training ground just because he [De Bruyne] wasn’t putting in the effort that Samuel Eto’o wanted so they had a massive row on the pitch,” Mikel added.
De Bruyne’s attitude clearly improved after he left Stamford Bridge, and he evidently worked hard during his spell at Wolfsburg, where he had a phenomenal second season, leading to his move to Manchester City in 2015.
Things worked out for the better in the end, and it’s hard to think of a time when De Bruyne wouldn’t have been a stellar talent that tried his best all the time.
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