Frank Lampard reveals circumstances behind Kevin De Bruyne’s departure from Chelsea

Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard, has shed light on the reasons behind Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne’s departure from the club in 2014.

De Bruyne initially joined Chelsea in January 2012 from Genk, a Belgian club, for a reported fee of £7 million.

After a brief loan spell, De Bruyne moved to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen for the 2012-13 season.

The talented player returned to Stamford Bridge the following season but struggled to find his place in the team under the management of Jose Mourinho.

During his second stint at Chelsea, De Bruyne made only nine appearances before being released by the club.

He subsequently joined Wolfsburg, where he rebuilt his reputation and made a name for himself in European football.

In 2015, De Bruyne made a high-profile move to Manchester City, where he has since established himself as one of the world’s best midfielders.

Lampard, who was still an active player at Chelsea during De Bruyne’s time at the club, shared his perspective on the Belgian’s departure.

While Lampard acknowledged that he was unaware of the exact details of what transpired between De Bruyne and Mourinho, he expressed his respect for the player’s decision to seek regular playing time elsewhere.

He said; “Kevin was fighting more for the No.10 position or one of the two wide players,” he told his press conference.

“When he was with us in his younger days, we were probably quite well stacked in those attacking areas.

“Eden [Hazard] was here, [Andre] Schurrle was here, Juan Mata was here and what I remember from Kevin was a real hunger and desire to come in and play.”