'King Kev' returns to face Manchester City

Manchester: New club, new country, new culture, new position. Kevin De Bruyne seems to have adapted to it all at Napoli, but the 34-year-old midfielder is heading back to his old life this week.

Napoli's Champions League opener on Thursday sees De Bruyne return to Manchester City, just a few months after his tearful goodbye following 10 trophy-laden years at the club where “King Kev” became a firm fan favorite and one of its greatest ever players.

After nine years working under Pep Guardiola, De Bruyne has slotted seamlessly into Antonio Conte's team and has already scored two goals in three matches to help Napoli's title defense get off to a perfect start.

“Kevin is a bit of a genius,” Conte said after Saturday's 3-1 win at Fiorentina. “We are trying to carve out a new role for him that fits in with what he can give us.”

Conte has a midfield packed with talent at Napoli and that has seen — in a tactical shift that appears to be working — De Bruyne and Scott McTominay taking turns in switching from their central roles to a more unusual position for them out wide. And the pair already seem to be forming a

lethal duo.