Martinez: Pep has made KDB even better
KEVIN de Bruyne’s ability to dictate matches from deep separates him from any other playmaker in the world, according to Roberto Martinez.
The former Everton manager and current Belgian national team boss believes the versatility of the Blues midfielder gives him a truly unique playing style.
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Martinez praised the 26-year-old’s development under Pep Guardiola this season and in particular the City star’s ability to read the game as it unfolds in front of him.
“We have seen a big evolution,” Martinez said. “We have seen him more in a central role where he can pick the long pass. Sometimes you need to use players who are in good moments of form and think about how you are going to put them together.
“When you have got a Kevin who can play deep it allows you to have five players in front who can be his targets. That is the way I see him, different to any playmaker. With the precision of his long pass he can give you real width or he can play the pass internally.
“He is a modern playmaker. Playmakers used to need two seconds on the ball. They almost needed the tempo of the game to stop for them to find that pass.
“I think what Kevin de Bruyne gives you, you would not find in another playmaker around the world, which has that dynamism in his play that allows you to do things at real pace. It is that ability to execute and be dynamic.”