📍Drongen, Ghent, Belgium
1991 – 2005“Kevin De Bruyne was born in Ghent, Belgium, in June 1991 and grew up in Drongen, a quiet village on the western edge of the city, among fields and canals beside the River Leie. His father, Herwig, worked in the oil and energy business, and his mother, Anna, was born in Burundi, in Africa, to a Belgian family and grew up partly in Côte d'Ivoire and England. Kevin spent his childhood in Drongen, playing football in the garden and the streets, and often visiting his mother's family in England, where he became a Liverpool fan. He was shy, quiet and intensely competitive, hating to lose at anything. At about six he played his first tournament for the local club, KVE Drongen, where he spent two years, and in 1999 he joined the youth academy of KAA Gent, the city's professional club. His passing, vision and striking stood out from the start. At fourteen he left home to join the academy of KRC Genk, on the other side of Belgium, living with a host family. It was a difficult time, and one host family sent him away after a year, saying he was too quiet and difficult, but he stayed determined and later found a family who supported him. He made his professional debut for Genk in 2008, and won the Belgian league with them. After Chelsea, Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg, he joined Manchester City in 2015, where he won six Premier League titles and the Champions League. He led Belgium to third place at the 2018 World Cup. Drongen is proud of the quiet boy from the village who became one of the best midfielders in the world.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today