Kevin De Bruyne is planning to extend his career by two years.
The Manchester City star revealed he has been talking about the future with his wife Michele while locked down with his family during the coronavirus pandemic.
And, after missing a large chunk of last season due to injury, and seeing this season halted by the global crisis, the Belgium international has made a big decision.
“I told my wife I’m going to play a little longer,” he said, during a Q and A on Instagram. “After this lockdown. I cannot stay at home, I told her I’m going to take two years more.”
De Bruyne also expressed his frustration at the halt to the football season, while making it plain that it is insignificant in the bigger picture of the pandemic’s terrible progress.
The 28-year-old was closing on the Premier League assists record, standing four behind Thierry Henry’s high of 20.
That put him on course to win the league’s own Playmaker of the Year award for the second time in three years, having clinched it in 2018 by setting up Gabriel Jesus’ late winner at Southampton on the final day of the season.
Said De Bruyne: “It's time to play football again. I miss it and it's difficult. But we are not important, football is not important. People love football, but you need to stay safe.
“I've been at home now for two weeks. At the beginning, my family and my kids were a little bit sick so that was a little bit worrying but they are alright now.
“It took eight or nine days, we don't know, but now they are better luckily as you never know what is going to happen.
“People ask why I'm not in Belgium. It's because I'm self-isolating in England. I live here so I'm here with my kids and wife.”
De Bruyne is contracted to City until the summer of 2023 after signing a blockbuster five-year deal in 2018.
