De Bruyne surprises teammates with his personality

Kevin De Bruyne impresses not just with his football skills but also by showing humility and warmth to his Napoli teammates, which is quite different from the typical superstar persona.

New defender Sam Beukema has given special praise to Kevin De Bruyne and admitted he was “surprised” by the Manchester City legend’s modesty after joining Napoli together.

This past summer, De Bruyne ended a glorious 10-year spell at Man City to join Napoli on a free transfer. The Belgian star quickly proved his worth by scoring 2 goals in 5 matches across all competitions, helping the southern Italian club start the new season with great momentum.

Beukema, who also joined Napoli from Bologna on a 5-year contract, said he quickly adapted thanks to the support from De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku: “They are both world-class players but very humble. That really surprised me. We joked around a lot, and they helped me integrate quickly with the team. I’m happy to train and compete alongside them every day.”

De Bruyne’s arrival has not only stabilized Napoli’s midfield but also boosted fans’ confidence. Former star Paolo Di Canio believes De Bruyne and young striker Rasmus Hojlund, who is on loan from Manchester United, will form a key partnership in Napoli’s quest to defend the Serie A title in the 2025/26 season. Di Canio also praised Napoli’s transfer strategy for securing several high-quality signings.

Under coach Antonio Conte, Napoli is facing a busy schedule. After a major clash with AC Milan, they will host Sporting CP in the Champions League before facing Genoa in Serie A on October 5th. With experienced stars like De Bruyne and Lukaku combined with the youthful energy of Hojlund, Napoli has strong grounds to aim high both domestically and in Europe.

From his humility off the pitch to his influence on it, De Bruyne is gradually becoming a new leader at San Paolo, promising to help Napoli continue writing brilliant chapters in their history.