sport news MICAH RICHARDS: Kevin De Bruyne is special but he's not at Yaya Toure or David ... trends now
It was a privilege to be at Molineux on Wednesday. It had nothing to do with the fact Manchester City were such comprehensive winners against Wolves but everything to do with my love of football and seeing a world-class player performing at his peak.
I knew within a minute of the start that Kevin De Bruyne was in the mood to do something special. Yes, he scored four goals but I'm sure if City had needed to win by eight, he'd have ended up with six. Pep Guardiola said he was 'beyond perfect' and that was quite a description!
But this wasn't just about his goals. It's the little things you notice when you are in a stadium, being able to look at the full picture, that make the biggest impressions. De Bruyne presses opponents ferociously and doesn't let them breathe, he drifts into little pockets and causes mayhem.
Kevin De Bruyne delivered a magical showing after scoring four goals for Manchester City
Playmaker De Bruyne (left) almost single-handedly helped City place one hand on the title
This was magic and he is a huge reason why City have one hand on the Premier League trophy. But is he the best player in the club's modern history? I don't believe so. I have heard the arguments as to why people believe that is the case but I respectfully disagree with them. I will explain.
As good as Kevin is, he does not surpass either Yaya Toure or David Silva. There may come a point one day in the future when he does overtake them — the opportunity to do so would be if he leads City to a first Champions League triumph — but he isn't there yet.
When Yaya and David arrived in the summer of 2010, it was the first opportunity I had got to work with world-class players on a daily basis. Yaya had won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2009, David had just helped Spain win the World Cup in South Africa.
It was the little things they did that set them apart. If you ever got into a rondo session with them, the small sided game that involves one-touch passing, they could literally keep you chasing shadows for two or three minutes. Their control was immaculate, their use of the ball perfect.
But he is yet to reach the level of Yaya Toure (above), who blew minds with his skill and ability
Yaya is often categorised as being this force of nature, due to his size and power, but his skill and the things he could do with a ball would blow your mind. It was an education to watch him, to see how he handled situations and the ability he had to take a game apart.
David was the same, in terms of the magic he possessed. We used to have a tactic that Roberto Mancini worked on where I, as the right back, would overlap. I'd run from the outside to inside, to get the ball and put it into the area.
Not once with David did I ever have to shout where I wanted the ball. He knew instinctively what to do, the weight to play it and when I would be arriving into position. Things happen so quickly in a game but I would often need a touch to control, a second to look up, then another second to pass.
With David and Yaya it all happened immediately. David had a picture in his mind about the game, almost like he could see into the future. You know you are in the presence of greatness when a team-mate makes you say 'wow' and these two did it on an almost daily basis.
David Silva is also yet to be usurped, with the diminutive midfielder a catalyst for City success
There was, of course, more to it than just skill. They came to Manchester at a time when we were not the best team in the city, let alone the country, but they were the catalyst for all the success that followed.
Yaya scored winning goals in the FA Cup
