• Kevin De Bruyne is considered the best midfielder in the world and pivotal to Manchester City's recent success.

• His remarkable journey began at Wolfsburg, where he set records and earned prestigious titles.

• De Bruyne's transition from Wolfsburg to Manchester City marked the start of his ascent to global football stardom.

A player that's widely considered to be the best midfielder in the world at the moment, and an instrumental part of the legendary Manchester City side that recently won the treble. Manchester City's immense success over the past few years would've undoubtedly been impossible without Kevin De Bruyne. It can even be argued that Erling Haaland's record breaking first season at the Etihad might've not been so easy to achieve without the Belgian, who set him up with several magnificent passes that would be a dream for any striker. This article will go back in time during De Bruyne's stint at Wolfsburg, which saw the rise of the magnificent Belgian.

From England to Germany

Kevin De Bruyne was signed by Wolfsburg from Chelsea for a fee of £18 million. His debut with the club ended in defeat, as Wolfsburg lost against Hannover 96 3-1. The months that followed started to see De Bruyne finding momentum at his new club. On 12 April 2014, De Bruyne assisted 2 goals in their 4–1 home win against 1. FC Nürnberg. This was followed by his first goal for Wolfsburg in a 3-1 win over Hamburger SV. De Bruyne also managed to score in his final 2 Bundesliga appearances that season against VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

2014–15 season

De Bruyne's next season with Wolfsburg began on a bright note for the player, as he scored crucial goals for the club. His most notable performances though were against Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen. Wolfsburg went on to achieve a historic 4–1 home win against Bayern Munich that season, and De Bruyne played a major part in the victory with a brace. A 5-3 win against his former club Werder Bremen saw the Belgian provide 3 assists as well.

Kevin De Bruyne's excellent performances were not limited to the Bundesliga as well, as he managed to score a brace in Wolfsburg's memorable 3-1 victory over Inter Milan in the Europa League round of 16. They ended up beating the nerazzurri 5-2 on aggregate that season.

De Bruyne ended that Bundesliga season with a remarkable 10 goals and 21 assists, with the latter being a new Bundesliga record. Wolfsburg also finished second in the Bundesliga and qualified for the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League. The magnificent season ended on a high for the Belgian as well, as he started and scored in the 2015 DFB-Pokal Final which saw Wolfsburg defeat Borussia Dortmund 3–1 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

A magnificent individual season that ended with 16 goals and 27 assists in all competitions saw him named the 2015 Germany Footballer of the Year.

One final silverware and a trip back to England

The brilliant period of momentum continued for De Bruyne and Wolfsburg, as they began the season by winning the 2015 DFL-Supercup against Bayern Munich. It was the Belgian who provided the assist as well for Nicklas Bendtner's 89th-minute equalizer for a 1–1 draw and then scoring in the subsequent penalty shootout. De Bruyne continued to provide excellent performances for Wolfsburg, but as the saying goes, nothing good lasts forever.

A club record £55 million bid by Manchester City saw the end of Kevin De Bruyne at Wolfsburg. The club were never the same after his departure, as they failed to replace the generational talent they had with them. De Bruyne on the other hand, came back to England yet again, after his failed stint with Chelsea. What followed after this is familiar to most football fans, as the Belgian went on to establish himself as one of the best footballers in the world. The player also got the final laugh, as he proved all his doubters wrong. Especially those who claimed that he could never make it in England after his time at Chelsea.