So let's just imagine for a moment that you're the owner/operator of a popular treasure hunt attraction on the Suffolk coast. Who's the last person you want to see turning up at the start line? Probably someone with incredible speed and ground coverage, impeccable attention to detail and a ruthless competitive streak. Not to mention an uncanny - bordering supernatural - ability to see an objective before it physically materialises.
Alas, posterity does not record the exact noise emitted at the moment said treasure hunt operator first set eyes on Kevin De Bruyne and his printable entry barcode last autumn. The Manchester City midfielder had been out of action since sustaining a hamstring injury against Burnley in August, and had seized the opportunity to take his family on a rare mid-season holiday to Suffolk.
Nor does posterity record how the De Bruynes actually fared in their scavenger hunt. But we can safely conclude from De Bruyne's post-hunt debrief - "it was fun," he later said of the experience - that he probably got what he came for.
For De Bruyne, the last five months have been all about reset and renewal. A chance to escape the treadmill of elite football, with its punishing schedule and relentless rhythms. A chance to let the ligaments and joints heal properly, to enjoy a proper training block, to spend time with the kids, to live something approaching a normal life. The next five months, by contrast, are all about making up for lost time. For De Bruyne, the real treasure hunt starts now.
Esta historia es de la edición January 26, 2024 de The Guardian.
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Esta historia es de la edición January 26, 2024 de The Guardian.
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