BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand says Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne would have excelled even if he was coming up against the likes Manchester United’s Paul Scholes and Arsenal’s Patrick Vieira in their prime.

Ferdinand believes the midfielder possesses the qualities to compete in any era of the Premier League:

“Would De Bruyne be able to play in a two-man midfield against a Vieira or Scholes? Would he be as effective? I think De Bruyne would. His capacity to run, his dynamism, his ability on the ball. Only [David] Beckham passes the ball better on the run, crossing-wise.”

De Bruyne’s numbers tell you all you need to know about the player. He has scored 58 goals and contributed an astonishing 92 assists in 217 Premier League appearances.

Considering Steven Gerrard managed the exact same number of assists but in 287 more games, you begin to see how special De Bruyne truly is.

Of course, it is not always fair to compare eras. Football has become a lot more attacking over the last 10 to 15 years but, even so, De Bruyne’s performances in the Premier League stand out. He will go down as one of the best players to grace the English top flight.