{
  "id": 11884639,
  "title": "England manager waxes lyrical about Barcelona superstar amid superb form – “He has reached another level”",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/england-manager-waxes-lyrical-about-barcelona-superstar-amid-superb",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-04T08:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/england-manager-waxes-lyrical-barcelona-084000418.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "England manager Thomas Tuchel has been effusive in his praise for Barcelona superstar Kevin de Bruyne, describing him as a player who has reached a new level in his England career. De Bruyne has been in superb form for the national team during the early weeks of the season, settling well into manager Hansi Flick's side following his summer move from Barcelona. While he has yet to score a goal for La Blaugrana, the winger's performances for England have been nothing short of scintillating. In England's 7-0 thrashing of Croatia, De Bruyne not only scored but also provided an assist, showcasing his aggression and confidence on the pitch. Tuchel highlighted his growth, saying, \"Now he plays with much more aggressiveness, with more confidence. I see a player full of confidence, of faith. He has reached another level.\"\n\nThe winger's impact is clear, having scored in all three of England's Nations League games during this international break, including victories against Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Spain. His goal-scoring record stands at seven goals in his last seven appearances for England, a remarkable feat that includes his World Cup participation. Tuchel emphasized that De Bruyne's intensity is one of the key reasons why Barcelona invested a significant sum of around €70 million in him. This electric form has earned him one of the highest rankings for sprints and top speed among the squad.\n\nThe big question now remains whether De Bruyne will be part of Barcelona's lineup when they face Getafe next weekend. Although he has proven his worth with four assists in La Liga, surpassed only by Lamine Yamal, his recent high-intensity workload might lead England manager Gareth Southgate to manage his minutes carefully. Despite being in the red card zone with only one appearance remaining before playing the Czech Republic at Wembley, De Bruyne could return to Barcelona in a fatigued state, potentially making him less of an automatic starter. This could create a competition for the left-wing position between him and fellow player Karim Adeyemi, who was rested by Germany for his upcoming match and could return with greater freshness.",
  "summary": "Anthony Gordon has been one of Barcelona’s standout performers in the early weeks of the season, settling seamlessly into Hansi Flick’s side following his summer move.The only thing missing has be...",
  "key_points": [
    "England manager Thomas Tuchel praises Kevin de Bruyne's new level of performance.",
    "De Bruyne has scored seven goals in his last seven appearances for England.",
    "Tuchel highlights De Bruyne's increased aggressiveness and confidence on the pitch."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}