Saturday 16 April 2016 17:52, UK
Kevin De Bruyne claims he has nothing to prove to Chelsea as he prepares to return to Stamford Bridge with Manchester City.
The Belgium international, now one of City's most influential players after a hugely impressive first season at the Etihad Stadium, had an unsuccessful spell with the London club earlier in his career.
De Bruyne made just nine appearances for Chelsea before being sold to Wolfsburg for £18m by then manager Jose Mourinho in 2014.
Just 18 months later, he joined City in a club-record £54m deal and has not looked back since. The 24-year-old has scored 15 times for City this season, including three in his last four appearances since returning from injury and the winner in Tuesday's superb Champions League quarter-final win over Paris Saint-Germain.
City travel to Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday Night Football, but De Bruyne said: "I don't feel I have to prove anything to anyone because there's nothing really to say. It's not a case of I played a lot and played badly - I just didn't play.
"It is what it is and I'm just going there to try and help City win the game, which is really important for us."
City manager Manuel Pellegrini also does not feel people should dwell on why De Bruyne failed to make an impact at Chelsea.
Pellegrini said: "It's difficult to answer. Maybe three years ago Kevin wasn't the same player as he is now.
"He didn't have the options at Chelsea because they had more important players at that moment, and he was young.
"But the important thing is that Chelsea sold him and we bought him."
Asked if he thought Chelsea might now be regretting the sale, Pellegrini said: "I suppose they're not happy, but that happens.
"There are a lot of different cases. (Paul) Pogba was free from Manchester United and now he is a very important player, but Pogba at that moment was not the same Pogba that he is today."
