Former footballer Joe Cole has gone out on a limb to crown Kevin De Bruyne the greatest midfielder in the history of the Premier League.
Well, it’s not that much of a limb in truth, but they’re big words nonetheless.
The debate surrounding where Kevin De Bruyne ranks among the greatest midfielders the Premier League has ever seen – Scholes, Lampard, Gerrard, Viera and so on – is one that’s been circulating for many years now and it’s quite the honour to even be mentioned in the same breath as these players.
However, a bit of a legend in his own right when it comes to the English top flight, Cole has now claimed that not only does he “stand shoulder to shoulder” with any of these greats but that he’s started to cement his place above them as “the Godfather of attacking midfielders”.
"We're lucky to have him in the Premier League"@rioferdy5 and Joe Cole discuss the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne and whether he felt any pressure following Phil Foden's recent performances…
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 6, 2024
Joe Cole dubs Kevin De Bruyne ‘the Godfather’ of attacking mids in the Prem.
The 42-year-old went on to say, “I think he sits above everyone, I really do, and I include Frank [Lampard] and [Paul] Scholes and Stevie [Steven Gerrard] and everyone in that”.
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“I think he’s moving up and they are great players of their time and it’s always difficult to compare eras because the game, the rules change; the pitch has changed, the ball has changed, the training methods – everything changes but he’s certainly the best of this era and he’s just outstanding.”
This comes after De Bruyne was once again instrumental in Manchester City‘s 4-2 win over Crystal Palace, grabbing a brace and assists for Erling Haaland’s 30th goal in all competitions this season against the home side on Saturday.
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He is by no means the only one to back this claim with Jürgen Klopp recently admitting that De Bruyne is just as good if not better than Gerrard, while the Liverpool and England legend himself went so far as to dub him “the best in the world”.
Even with injury problems here and there, having spent most of this season on the sidelines, the 32-year-old continues to prove that class is permanent; if anything, you could argue he’s looking better than ever — and we don’t just mean the nice new trim.
Having made it 100 goals in blue, as well as 158 assists in just under a decade at the club, manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for the Belgian, not only labelling both of his finishes “unbelievable” but applauding him on his unwavering quality since arriving at the Etihad.
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“Ten years in Man City, the numbers, the presence, the consistency has been amazing,” said Pep, adding: “[He’s one] one of the best players in all our history of Man City.”
You can watch the highlights from Man City’s crucial away win in the title race that looks like it’s going to run right down to the wire HERE and as for you trying to nail down the greatest midfielder this league has ever seen, you don’t need to convince us.
Featured Images — TNT Sports/Man City (via Instagram)
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Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
Danny Jones -
8th April 2024 
