Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco has heaped praise on his captain Kevin De Bruyne as he hailed the "breathtaking intuition" of his top star ahead of Euro 2024.
"He sees spaces that others don't recognize, it is madness. Sometimes I have the feeling he gets signals from a drone in the sky," Tedesco told German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung in an interview published on Tuesday.
Manchester City playmaker De Bruyne, 32, is one of the last members of the Red Devils' golden generation that finally want a big title, having finished third at the 2018 World Cup.
De Bruyne missed one year of national team action until returning for the final tune-up matches against Montenegro (2-0) und Luxembourg (3-0).
Belgium start the Euros in Germany on Monday against Slovakia, with Ukraine and Romania the other opponents in the group stage, and De Bruyne is to be the leader.
"He is a very special player, which is why we deliberately involve him in a special way. He is also totally interested and always available when it comes to the group," Tedesco said.
He added that the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Romelu Lukaku are also leading players, but do not need the captain's armband.
Tedesco named England, France, Spain and hosts Germany among the top favourites while the role of his team was difficult to define.
"We have to concentrate on the group stage. We have very uncomfortable opponents," Tedesco warned.
"But I can promise that we go into the tournament with a lot of anticipation, and with optimism."
