Tuesday 25 October 2016 14:49, UK
Kevin De Bruyne believes his form for Manchester City has answered Jose Mourinho's criticism that he was incapable of fighting for a first-team place.
The former Chelsea midfielder returned to the Premier League with City in a £55m deal last summer, 18 months after leaving Stamford Bridge for £18m.
De Bruyne made just two Premier League starts for Chelsea under Mourinho before departing for Wolfsburg, leading his former boss to question his ability to compete for a starting spot.
The Belgium international, who won City's Player of the Year award in his debut season at the Etihad and has been nominated for the 2016 Ballon d'Or, says his performances since returning to England prove Mourinho wrong.
"I couldn't say anything before as I wasn't playing,' De Bruyne told the Daily Mail. "If he [Mourinho] says something to the press they are going to believe it because at that moment it was the only thing they had to listen to - the only evidence there was.
"But I don't think I am like he said. I always want to play. I have played hundreds of times in my career and I am only 25. So I think I have answered it quite well.
"At the time at Chelsea I had already many, many games under my belt. I didn't feel I was like a normal 20-year-old because I had already played for years in Belgium and then on loan from Chelsea in Germany.
"I think they [Chelsea] had a different view than I had of myself. I was young but also experienced. If I had come through the youth then maybe I would be happy to play 10 games there.
"As far as I was concerned, I was ready to play. I have read that, for them at Chelsea, I was too young, but in my mind you are never too young. If you are ready you are ready.
"I think Eden Hazard was the same age as me when he played so it's a little bit strange to say this guy is young and the other guy is old enough to play. It's just another way of saying that somebody isn't good enough."
De Bruyne is expected to miss the Manchester derby against Mourinho's United in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports, after suffering a calf injury against Southampton.
He scored the opening goal in their first league meeting in September, helping to secure a 2-1 win for City at Old Trafford, but insists he harbours no grudge towards his former manager.
"I come here today with a very different view than people had of me last year," he added. "It shows that a lot can happen in one year.
"Everybody had a view of how I came out of Chelsea so, yes, it gives me satisfaction that people have changed their minds.
"I have no problem with Jose. In some ways it was a good experience. It's the only experience of not really playing and it gave me another aspect, to realise how to conduct yourself.
"I learned a lot about myself and I am happy with the decision I made to move on."
City's draw against Southampton on Nissan Super Sunday extended their winless run to five matches, leading Pep Guardiola to keep his players in the dressing room for 50 minutes after the match.
On what was said, De Bruyne added: "He just told us to believe. He doesn't want us to have doubts in the way that we are playing.
"He wanted to make sure that we know the way we are playing now is the good way. That was the message. There are a lot of risks in how we play, we know that."
