The amazing Kevin de Bruyne revamp - he's back!

• De Bruyne returned to action in the FA Cup after a number of months out injured
• The Belgian’s smile is back and he promises to be a huge weapon for City 
• Would Tottenham be clear at the top of the league if they hadn’t lost some of their best players to injury? It’s All Kicking Off

They might have a combined value of £130million, but that did not stop Josko Gvardiol and Matheus Nunes acting like children when the head boy strolled into class last month.

Jeddah’s unforgiving humidity brings on a natural sweat, although for them so did the new-look Kevin De Bruyne.

The seasoned internationals gawped as the Belgian made his way out to training ahead of the Club World Cup. It was the first time Nunes had shared a pitch with De Bruyne and Gvardiol only had a handful of sessions before City’s playmaker did his hamstring in August.

From that same training session, in the shadow of the King Abdullah Sport City, Mail Sport’s three-second video of De Bruyne in training gear standing next to Jack Grealish racked up over one million views as City’s corner of the internet lost its mind.

De Bruyne and Grealish have similar haircuts now, the Belgian with a bouffant having enjoyed a glow-up during his time off. Even his smile appears brighter. A reluctant superstar, there are very few players who garner as much interest and how City feel about the 32-year-old was evident during the last two matches.

Kevin de Bruyne is back fit for Manchester City after a number of months out with a hamstring injury sustained in the first game of the season

A three-second video shared on Mail Sport’s social media of De Bruyne training in Saudi Arabia sent supporters wild

De Bruyne had played part of last season with a hamstring issue and needed to be operated on

The place rocked when boss Pep Guardiola introduced him during the FA Cup win over Huddersfield after five months out. The No17 flashing up on the board provoked a louder noise than any of City’s five goals. He ended with an assist for Jeremy Doku, the young winger who De Bruyne lobbied sporting director Txiki Begiristain to sign. ‘Huddersfield was a special moment because they appreciate what I’ve done for the club,’ De Bruyne said. ‘To get that ovation after being away for months gives you more of a boost.’

A week earlier, more than 50,000 rose to greet a light jog down the touchline that was performative from Guardiola, who had no real intention of introducing him as they beat Sheffield United. Even that felt emotional.

The comeback has been carefully managed and De Bruyne does not expect to start at Newcastle on Saturday. It has been too long a road to rush back after his season stopped only 23 minutes in at Burnley. Typically, he had already assisted Erling Haaland by that point.

It was his third hamstring injury and needed operating on. De Bruyne likened his hamstring to a ‘wet kitchen towel’ and knew going under the knife was the only way forward. City hope it will prolong his career.

The Etihad went wild when Pep Guardiola introduced his talisman against Huddersfield on Sunday afternoon

The midfielder as named as a substitute or the first time since going under the knife last year

It was not going to be rushed, done a couple of weeks after the incident at Turf Moor, and the club sat down to plot their talisman’s route back. He had played on with a hamstring injury during the final two months of their Treble ascent. That will not happen again.

Given the lengthy lay-off, City decided to find windows for downtime during rehabilitation. Switching between intensive and easier periods of recovery, De Bruyne chose to reset.

He altered his diet — he has been partial to a mustard sandwich — and became leaner. In particular, his core is stronger due to increased loads during strength training.

The reset is physical and mental. He has barely had a break for a decade, so the idea of spending time with his wife Michele and three young kids, Mason, seven, Rome, five, and Suri, three, has been cherished. He has even seen school plays and attended Mason’s football training.

De Bruyne has altered his diet, and become leaner with a stronger core due to increased loads in strength training

But City have kept him busy on ambassadorial duties, in his hometown of Ghent, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and at the UFC in the same region, catching up with the original Ronaldo.

Another double act came via an amusing exchange with rapper Drake, who appeared to have given him a songwriting credit on a track when that honour was in fact bestowed to the late jazz musician Koen De Bruyne.

‘Drake needed an assist,’ read a caption on De Bruyne’s social media. Haaland replied mournfully: ‘He’s not the only one.’

Time off was spent watching Westerlo in the Belgian Pro League while on crutches. He also holidayed in Dubai. It has been a worldwide tour in the pursuit of pure fitness.

Sources say De Bruyne is smiling more. ‘He’s a changed man over the last few months,’ one said. The rehab programme was designed to promote that. While sunning himself and doing rehab in Abu Dhabi, the home of City’s owner, De Bruyne was afforded the facilities of the Emirates Palace, where the squad will be next week for a warm-weather training camp.

Different members of City’s medical team have travelled with him, working with the Belgian FA. While City were in control, Belgium’s pre-eminent physio Lieven Maesschalck accompanied Dr Geert Declercq during surgery. Viewed as a big motivator, Maesschalck has been right across this recovery.

Sources have said that the Belgian is a ‘changed man over the last few months’ and has been smiling more

City took their time with the recovery – the 32-year-old has hardly had a break for a decade

Bert Driesen has also had a huge impact. He is close to Belgium’s top stars and provides Romelu Lukaku with a personal regime. De Bruyne leaned on him more than the modest Driesen cares to admit.

‘Kevin recovered from a complex injury,’ Maesschalck said. ‘He is a true professional. Being ambitious as he is, I’m in no doubt that he’s stronger than before, both physically and mentally.’

City are about to find out. Off the pitch he has had to accept the decision for Kyle Walker, with whom he is close, to get the armband. De Bruyne may be more suited to vice-captaincy anyway given how insular he is.

On the pitch, he expects sky-high standards. He is a hard taskmaster in a similar vein to Guardiola, even if they do not socialise as the manager did with Ilkay Gundogan.

He does not expect to start against Newcastle, but will likely be involved from the substitutes’ bench on Saturday

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De Bruyne has 18 months left on his contract and, although the Saudi Pro League’s director of football Michael Emenalo — who signed De Bruyne at Chelsea — attended a recent training session, it is hard to imagine him not retiring at City, a place he calls home.

That will depend how his body responds, but when De Bruyne negotiates a new deal himself — he has no agent — his dive into statistics will likely show just how important he remains.

It will be 10 years in Manchester by that point. Statue territory for the only man who has held a candle to the club’s greatest, Colin Bell.

The modern day king is back, the Belgian jetsetter with a fresh trim, more robust core and new outlook.

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