'Like any job' - Napoli's ex-Man City star Kevin De Bruyne suggests he has fallen out of love with football 'after 30 years'

De Bruyne has opened up about his evolving relationship with the beautiful game, suggesting that the initial spark he felt as a youngster has inevitably dimmed. Having spent years at the pinnacle of European football with Manchester City before moving to Italy, the midfielder believes it is only natural for his enthusiasm to change as he enters the latter stages of his career. Now pulling the strings for Napoli in Serie A, the Belgian compared the professional game to any other career where interest can fluctuate over time.

When asked if he still loves the sport as much as when he first started, De Bruyne provided a surprisingly blunt assessment of his current motivation. "I don't think I still love football as much as I did in the beginning," De Bruyne told Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I imagine it's normal after 30 years. Sometimes it happens that you lose a bit of interest, like in any job, I suppose. I also don't know what I'm going to do after my career. First I want to enjoy my family, because they have made a lot of sacrifices."

The veteran midfielder also touched upon the physical demands of playing for Antonio Conte. Since arriving in Naples, De Bruyne has had to adjust to the Italian manager's notoriously gruelling training sessions and tactical discipline. Despite the intensity, De Bruyne insisted he has adapted well to life in southern Italy following his decade-long stint in the Premier League. "I wanted to continue playing at high levels and at Napoli there was the possibility of doing so. So it was the best choice for everyone. I have to try to be happy in my work and in my life. It wasn't easy to change after ten years in Manchester but now we have adapted, we are fine. And we are all happy," he said.

While his passion for the sport might be evolving into a professional obligation, De Bruyne is not ready to hang up his boots just yet. He remains committed to his contract at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, though he admitted that his post-playing career remains a blank canvas. "Napoli could be my last team? I don't know that, I don't think about it now. I think I can still play for a few years, then when the body tells me to stop, I will do it. But for now I feel good."