Kevin De Bruyne seemed destined for the Eredivisie much earlier

A retrospective piece examining how De Bruyne could have joined PSV or FC Twente in 2010, when he was emerging at Genk.

This is a feature article from VI's archive series, the 'VI Tijdmachine', looking back at 2010 when PSV was rebuilding after a disappointing third-place finish. The club was seeking reinforcements ahead of Champions League football and had money to spend.

The article notes that in the 2010/11 season, forty Belgian players were active in the Eredivisie, many of whom would later become part of Belgium's 'Golden Generation'. Among them was a 19-year-old Kevin De Bruyne, then at RC Genk, who had just made his debut for Belgium under Georges Leekens.

The piece suggests that both PSV and FC Twente could have pursued De Bruyne at that time, as it was logical for Dutch clubs to look to Belgian talent. De Bruyne would go on to become 'the greatest Belgian footballer of all time' according to his national team coach in 2026, but in 2010 he was still largely unknown outside Belgium.

The article reflects on how a move to the Eredivisie at that stage could have been a natural step in his development.