According to a report by Manchester Evening News on Tuesday November 3, 2026, Manchester City midfielder Elliot Anderson has revealed that club legend Kevin De Bruyne was his biggest footballing inspiration growing up, placing the Belgian ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 23-year-old, who joined City from Nottingham Forest for a reported £116 million in July 2026, explained that although Messi and Ronaldo were idols for many young footballers, De Bruyne was the player he personally admired most.

Speaking to Manchester City's in-house media for the November edition of the club magazine, Anderson admitted that his admiration for the former City midfielder developed as he gained a better understanding of his position on the pitch.

He said: “As a kid, I guess you say Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were idols for a lot of kids, but once I started to get an understanding of the game and the position I played it was always Kevin De Bruyne who I looked up to and wanted to be.”

Anderson also explained that De Bruyne's passing ability was one of the major reasons he admired the Belgian, adding that he regularly watched the way the midfielder controlled games and created opportunities for his teammates.

De Bruyne enjoyed a remarkable ten-year spell at Manchester City, establishing himself as one of the greatest midfielders in the club's history before leaving for Napoli in 2025.

The Belgian made 422 appearances for City, recording 278 goal contributions while helping the club win six Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and several other major honours.

His departure created a significant gap in City's midfield, but Anderson's arrival has provided the club with another exciting option in that department.

The England international has made an encouraging start to life at the Etihad Stadium, with his performances earning him a nomination for City's Etihad Player of the Month award for October.

He also opened his goalscoring account for the club during their emphatic 5-1 Champions League victory over AEK Athens on October 20.

However, Manchester City suffered a setback at the weekend after losing 1-0 to Brighton at the Etihad Stadium, with Yasin Ayari scoring the only goal of the encounter.

Anderson will now hope to help Pep Guardiola's side return to winning ways when they travel to face RB Leipzig in the Champions League before taking on his former club Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.