Kevin De Bruyne Comments on Chelsea Exit, Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and More

Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that leaving Chelsea was the "obvious choice" after being denied the game time he needed by Jose Mourinho, according to FourFourTwo (h/t Liam Twomey for ESPN FC).

The Manchester City playmaker has become one of the world's deadliest playmakers since leaving Stamford Bridge in January 2014, and retrospectively, his £18 million transfer to Wolfsburg could be viewed as a mistake by the west London club.

The 25-year-old recorded 10 goals and 20 assists in 34 matches in the Bundesliga before moving to City in the summer of 2015 for £55 million.

Now De Bruyne has spoken out about his time under Mourinho and his decision to leave England for Germany.

"I couldn't get the game time I wanted, so leaving was the obvious choice," he told FourFourTwo (via Twomey). "I've no idea and I don't care [why he never convinced Mourinho]. I waited four months, then I said to myself that I wanted to play football every week. I wanted to start a new chapter, not be loaned out and come back to the exact same situation. It was a really smart move on my part."

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

It is difficult to argue with the Belgian's assessment given that Chelsea, despite lifting the Premier League title in 2014-15, are going through a tough time domestically and are without European football this season.

His comment regarding being "loaned out and come back" will chime with those fans concerned by Chelsea's controversial loan policy. The club currently have 37 players out on loan, but De Bruyne's comments suggest that not all of Chelsea's young players are happy to be farmed out year after year.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are flying high under Pep Guardiola. Their monumental 3-1 victory over Barcelona at the Etihad stadium on Tuesday signalled their arrival amongst Europe's elite, with De Bruyne emerging as a key member of Guardiola's team.

In the same interview with FourFourTwo (per Twomey), De Bruyne offered some insight into why the Catalan's methods have already produced results in England:

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It's his eye for detail that counts. When he speaks to me, we speak about everything. He was a player himself so he's very good at knowing the balance of when to joke and when to be serious. Before a game he'll be really quiet: he does his meetings a couple of hours before the match, and then we are doing stuff on our own. By then, everybody knows what we need to do.

"

De Bruyne had been slightly underperforming during City's recent six-match winless streak, but after losing his place in the team to Ilkay Gundogan for the trip to West Bromwich Albion, the Belgian made a goalscoring return against Guardiola's former club.

He was showing superb movement in the No. 10 role alongside David Silva earlier in the season, with his manager praising De Bruyne in September as "one of the best players I've worked with," as per JJ Bull for the Telegraph. His brilliant start was highlighted by Squawka in October:

However, as Sergio Aguero's goals dried up in October, De Bruyne was less prominent, and Guardiola deserves credit for moving Gundogan into a more advanced central role and deploying De Bruyne on the left wing against Barcelona. Out of that congested central space, he marked a return to form with a fabulous second-half free-kick.

Although Belgium performed below expectations at Euro 2016, losing 3-1 to Wales in the quarter-finals, De Bruyne's form throughout 2016 has earned him a place on the 30-man Ballon d'Or shortlist, as per the BBC. He is joined on the list by club team-mate Aguero.

The future looks very rosy for De Bruyne, who told FourFourTwo that he is not one to hold regrets, despite his career stuttering whilst in west London.

"Of all the choices I have made in my career, I don't regret one of them — even going to Chelsea," he said. "It didn't work out. I wanted to play football and I didn't, so I left."

De Bruyne's assertiveness in leaving Chelsea without even consulting Mourinho is testament to his personal determination and drive for success. Whether or not he was right to leave when he did, City fans will certainly be delighted with the decision that De Bruyne made. His creative input will be integral to the club's title challenge this campaign.