Grealish says he wants to model his game on the Belgium international, who is considered as the best player in the blue part of Manchester.
Grealish completed a £100 million move to Manchester City from Aston Villa before the closure of this summer’s transfer window.
The 25-year-old has not hit the ground running in his new club yet, but has shown signs of the player he is after his first four games.
He has scored one and provided one assist so far but the Englishman believes he could have done better in those games and is eager to follow the path of De Bruyne.
“I have had games at City already where I have come off. And I thought ‘I could have changed that game more,'” the former Villa star told ITV Sport. “That’s why they paid this amount of money for me’.”
“That is what the likes of Kevin De Bruyne would do. That is what he does; changes games and flips them on their head.
“I have had games already. The Community Shield final against Leicester and the first game of the season against Spurs. Where I felt like I could have done that.”
“But since then, I have had a perfect start to my career [at City].”
“Nowadays, especially in football, you look at players in my type of position and you are not going to hit your peak [until later years],” he added.
“For example, you look at Kevin De Bruyne, who is 30, and he has just signed a new deal at City. And he is probably at the height of his career now.”
“It is probably the best he has ever played in the last couple of years. I’m 25, I have got three, four, five years until I reach his age.
“And I have got so much more to learn in the game and so much more to improve. And I feel like I will over the next few years, definitely.”
