Departing captain Kevin De Bruyne was “surprised” to be told his Manchester City career was over as he feels he can still perform at the highest level.
The Belgium playmaker turns 34 in June but, unlike his mid-30-something rivals at Liverpool, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, he has not been offered the chance to extend his 10-year career at the Etihad.
De Bruyne believes City have erred on that front and feels had the club’s season been up to standard – they are in a battle just to secure Champions League football despite the 2-0 win at Everton – he may have been asked to stay.
“I have not had any offer the whole year, they just took a decision,” he said.
“Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it. Honestly I still think I can perform at this level like I’m showing but I understand clubs have to make decisions.
“Maybe if the team didn’t struggle and I came back like I did this year and bedded in like normal then maybe they take another decision.”
De Bruyne said he has not made any decisions about his future as he is concentrating on the race to secure a top-five spot to extend City’s run in the Champions League into a 15th successive season.
He has already been linked with moves to Major League Soccer in the United States, but it appears he still has designs on playing at the highest level he can for as long as he can.
“I feel like I still have a lot to give. Obviously I know I’m not 25 any more but I still feel like I can do my job,” he added.
“I’m open for anything. I have to look at the whole picture. I’m looking at sporting, family, everything together, what makes the most sense for me and my family.
“I like to play football. I like to compete. That’s what I feel so I can’t say that I want to quit because I still feel that whenever I’m in training I want to beat the guys.
“I feel like I’m doing really well and that’s why I’ve also played a lot lately.”
While De Bruyne has not ruled out remaining in the Premier League, his final few games feel like a farewell tour and he was applauded off at Goodison Park, where City won for the ninth successive – and final – time thanks to very late goals from Nico O’Reilly and Mateo Kovacic.
He, at least, looked like one of the few players trying to inject life into a performance which was lifeless and lacking in intensity and any real goal threat until the 84th minute.
“It’s something really rare to come out and get an applause from another team so I just want to say thank you to them. I think they appreciate the way that I play,” said De Bruyne.
“The way Everton play is hard. Defensively they are sound and we tried to break that but it was hard.
“We had difficulties going forward, especially in the first half. We needed two late goals but I think we did alright.”
