Kevin De Bruyne is nowhere near Premier League all-time starting XI as midfielders decided

Let's not kid ourselves; Kevin De Bruyne wouldn't be anywhere near an all-time Premier League starting XI. Even if you were to play a five-man midfield with three central players, De Bruyne still wouldn't qualify.

Gary Neville and the rest of the Sky Sports crew were all foaming at the mouth over the Belgian when discussing the topic after the drab Manchester derby. But they were all so afraid of upsetting their pals they refused to nail their colours to the mast.

There is no denying that De Bruyne is a generational talent and will go down as one of the great Manchester City legends.

However, so many others have had a greater impact on the best league in the world.

Rodri gets the defensive midfield spot hands down, he took the Claude Makelele role to another level.

And then you pick two in front of him. Steven Gerrard, Patrick Vieira, Frank Lampard, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes all sit ahead of De Bruyne. A peak Yaya Toure is in that category too.

One argument is that De Bruyne's six Premier League titles should weigh heavily. Using that theory, Nicky Butt would also be in there. He isn't.

The clear answer is Rodri, Gerrard, Scholes.

Final word

THE final word goes to Darren Cann who is retiring this weekend. And if you're asking who that is, it shows the impeccable job he has done as a Premier League assistant referee.

Unlike some of his peers, McCann hid from the limelight and officiated the biggest matches in the world to the highest standard.