Unflappable De Bruyne could be Manchester City's latest derby hero

The Belgian has been the star man for City this season and his cool head and sharp talents have helped cover for the absence of the club's most important players, writes Sam Lee.

Kevin De Bruyne is the second most expensive player in British soccer history, but his contribution to the Manchester City so far has been invaluable.

It is always tricky to suggest somebody, or something, that costs more than 50 million pounds can be described as a bargain.

It is equally risky to assess a player's merits at his new club after fewer than eight full matches.

But De Bruyne has slotted seamlessly into this City team, and all the evidence suggests he will be a major figure in the coming years.

"In all senses he was the perfect player to arrive to our team," Manuel Pellegrini said after the Belgian scored a vital last-gasp winner against Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday.In a difficult month for the Blues, in which they've been without Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero for long spells because of injury, De Bruyne has stepped up and plugged all manner of gaps.

And now he seems set to make his mark on the Manchester derby.

In his 793 minutes in a City shirt so far, every touch and feint has oozed confidence. His performances have lifted his teammates and Blues fans alike.

His assuredness in possession has been clear to see this season and never more than in the dying seconds against Sevilla. Shunted up front and with City looking short on ideas, he kept his head to cut back onto his left foot and stroke home an inch-perfect effort just inside the far post.

He is just as cool a customer off the pitch, too. It appears nothing fazes the 24-year-old when he speaks to reporters after matches. What he says may not make many headlines but the way he delivers his answers, breezing through questions with the kind of confidence the very best sportsmen and women possess, really stands out.Does he feel extra pressure because of his huge transfer fee? "Personally no. I'm not the only player here that they paid a lot of money for." Do you feel you need to prove yourself to Premier League viewers? "Not at all. I think I did it already in Germany."

The former Chelsea man is just as calm about the prospect of his first Manchester derby, some may even say too calm: "A derby is the same everywhere I think, even in Belgium or Germany.

"It’s a big game for supporters and if you can win this one for the supporters obviously they will be very happy after it but yeah in the end it’s just three points. If you win there or lose there it doesn’t change a lot but if we could win we could put a bit of pressure on them."

But while some City fans may raise an eyebrow at the playmaker's assertion that "it’s just three points," it should only serve to highlight how laid back their new star is.

Last season, Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal espoused the importance of keeping a cool head in the build-up to the first derby of the season. Chris Smalling was foolishly sent off in the first half and City would go on to pick up an easy victory.

De Bruyne, then, seems well placed to do something special. Even if he doesn't, he's not bothered, so long as one of his teammates can take advantage.

"If they put maybe two people on me then that means that somewhere else there’s more space," he replied when asked if United might seek to nullify his threat. "I think we have such a great team that on these levels it’s very difficult to put two people on one guy, obviously in a big game. So yeah, if they do then somebody else will be free and get more chances to do something for us."

Having played in any number of roles already this season, anybody trying to stick to De Bruyne can expect to do their fair share of miles on Sunday. With the attitude to match the craft - the most distance he's covered in a Premier League game this season is 12.8 km - he thrives in any of the advanced midfield positions and, on Wednesday, as a No. 9."It doesn’t matter," he said when asked about his favorite position, in that way of his. "I’ve been thrown everywhere in my whole career. You have one game that you play good on the right, you have one on the left, so it depends."

He's had good games all over the place so far. Aside from one ill-advised flick at Tottenham which led to a fateful equalizer for the hosts, he hasn't put a foot wrong in his time at the Etihad.
"If you make a mistake it happens, you just have to move on. Just accept the mistakes you make and try not to make mistakes in the future, obviously not every game you can play at your best level but if you try then nobody can say anything really."
There have certainly been no complaints so far, and if he can keep up his brilliant form and become City's latest derby hero on Sunday his list of admirers will only grow. Not that he needs the extra confidence.

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