De Bruyne is crowned the BEST EPL midfielder of all-time by voters

  /  autty

Kevin De Bruyne has been voted the best Premier League midfielder of all-time, beating out the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Paul Scholes to take the title.

In a poll conducted by football data outlet Visual Game, the two-time PFA Players' Player of the Year is one of two midfielders currently playing in the league in the top 10, with 10th-placed N'Golo Kante the only player keeping him company.

Steven Gerrard was placed second in the poll, and current Chelsea manager Frank Lampard swiped the number-three spot.

Paul Scholes and recently-departed Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira rounded out the top five.

Three of De Bruyne's team-mates at City made the top 20, including Rodri, ranked 17th, Ilkay Gundogan at 18th and Bernando Silva sitting 20th.

City, Chelsea and Manchester United share the top spot as the clubs best represented by players in the top 30, with each club having eight players who turned out for their team.

Save for De Bruyne, all of the top five midfielders – plus Roy Keane who was voted eighth-best – have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame for their achievements.

De Bruyne has regained blistering form of late, after a brief faltering at the start of the year.

During City's 4-0 defeat of Southampton on Saturday, the Belgian became the fastest player in Premier League history to reach 100 assists in the league.

He knocked previous record-holder Cesc Fabregas off the top spot by some margin, achieving the feat – which only five players have manager – 56 games quicker than the Chelsea and Arsenal legend.

Fabregas got a nod in the poll too, as he was ranked ninth, joining Yaya Toure, David Silva, Keane and Kante in rounding out the top 10.

On punditry duty, former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp praised De Bruyne as 'a genius'.

Both Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher named the player to their all-time Premier League XIs after a strong showing against RB Leipzig in City's 7-0 round-of-16 Champions League rout.

Whilst the poll inevitably led to division as some fans cited partisanship and recency bias as factors in the rankings, users on Twitter admitted that De Bruyne was worthy of the top spot.

One responded to the poll saying: 'Rightly so. De Bruyne is the best prem midfielder of all time'.

Another added: 'Seems right. The people have spoken'.

Related: Chelsea Manchester City Como Steven Gerrard Lampard Fàbregas De Bruyne Kante
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