Kevin De Bruyne has made his long-awaited return after a five-month injury and has a new haircut.
The 32-year-old came off the bench during City’s 5-0 FA Cup win over Huddersfield on Sunday, but Mail Sport’s Chris Sutton and Dominic King both questioned whether the new style would suit him on the Mail Sport podcast.It all starts‘.
While the duo praised him as a sensational player, Sutton joked that he was perhaps spending too much time with his tame Jack Grealish or was even about to release a new song.
He came off the bench to play 34 minutes in City’s match against Huddersfield, his first league appearance since the 3-0 Premier League win against Burnley in August.
He could now be in line to play for City this weekend, in their outing against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon.
Chris Sutton has poked fun at Kevin De Bruyne over his new haircut in It’s All Kicking Off
The former England star believes De Bruyne’s glow doesn’t suit him, and jokes he must have hung around Jack Grealish for a while.
The Belgian made his comeback after a five-month injury last weekend in the 5-0 match against Huddersfield.
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And as he previewed this weekend’s matches, Dominic King claimed we have a great weekend of football to look forward to, with Chelsea and Fulham doing battle before Pep Guardiola and Eddie Howe’s sides go head-to-head.
Speak about ‘It all starts‘, King said: ‘You’re going from lunchtime at Stamford Bridge to the North East at teatime which is another real humdinger of a match between Newcastle and Man City and we’ll see Kevin De Bruyne with his shine as we make us believe what it’s with his new hair.
“Did you do anything to your hair this morning knowing I was coming?” You look very slick,” he added to Sutton.
‘Yes. Not much,” Sutton replied, adding, “Oh, thank you very much. As for Kevin De Bruyne, is it a midlife crisis he is going through even though he is still a bit young?
‘Is he releasing a song? I don’t know what, why? Why the change? Why the Grealish hair?
‘He always seems a bit… Just a normal guy, Kevin De Bruyne. That’s a very strange look he has right now, isn’t it? I don’t think it suits him. Just go back to boring Kevin. Come on.’
De Bruyne made a brilliant return after injury and provided an assist for Jeremy Doku with a beautiful lobbed pass.
King questioned his opinion and said, “Don’t you? No, there’s nothing wrong. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. There’s nothing wrong with letting it grow. I let my hair grow a little. There’s nothing wrong with it.’
“But that’s a dramatic change,” said the former England striker, pointing to the City midfielder’s golden locks.
Despite his jokes, Sutton praised the midfielder as ‘a great player’ and claimed City would now go ‘from strength to strength’ once he returns from injury.
The Belgian was photographed with his new haircut at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November
“If he had done it his whole career, you’d say, yeah, I get it. But I don’t know, still a great player, but mid-life crisis I guess.’
“Well, when we say someone has a midlife crisis at 30, God knows what it says to us, but it’s great to see him back,” King added on De Bruyne’s return.
“And that quote from Jurgen Klopp about a few weeks ago when Kevin De Bruyne started running and the whole country started shaking is just an indication of, I think, how the second half of the season will go.”
Klopp’s comments came after Liverpool moved three points at the top of the Premier League after beating Newcastle 4-2, with the German joking that the rest of the Premier League will be nervous that De Bruyne could return to action soon come.
In response to King’s comments, Sutton said: “Yes, exactly. And I mean, you gang Liverpool have been brilliant so far this season, haven’t you?
‘But Manchester City hasn’t really got going yet. De Bruyne is back. New hair. Does he have new teeth? Who knows? Has he been to Turkey? Nobody knows.
‘But now he’s back. What do we know? He’s a great player, isn’t he? And we all think that Manchester City will only get stronger now. He’s back in their side, (Jeremy) Doku is back, (Erling) Haaland is coming back. It’s all coming together for Manchester City.
‘But Liverpool also finds a way, don’t they? So I think we’re going to have a great end to the season, I really do.”
King added, “Yeah, you know the expression turkey teeth? Did you hear that?’
His last appearance for Man City came in a 3-0 win against Burnley in August
He could be fit to start for the Cityzens in their trip to Newcastle on Saturday evening
“Yes, I heard that,” Sutton replied. “That’s where everyone goes to get their hair done. I mean, in a few years you’ll be sitting there, Dom, I think, on a plane.’
Koning: ‘I didn’t think that. There is one thing I wouldn’t want to soften and that is new hair and teeth. I’m bad enough as it is. I couldn’t do anything to anyone else. I’ll tell you what, I’ll make a prediction. I think City will win comfortably on Saturday night.’
“Oh, you’re brave,” the former Celtic striker replied.
King added, “There’s no point in debating you and saying, I’m going to sit on the fence.
“Oh, I don’t know which way it’s going to go. I think City will beat them. I think City will give Newcastle a blow on Saturday night. Really and truly.’