But he has lifted the lid on the exact moment that changed his life while he was a shy 15-year-old at Genk. The Belgian club put him in with a foster family for 12 months while he completed his education and played in their academy.

He was placed with a foster family for 12 months as he trained and completed his education. At the time, he was a shy 15 year old, and he was doing well in school and at home. At the end of the year, he said goodbye to his foster parents, and they told him that they were happy to have him back after the summer break.

The club found de Bruyne a foster family so that he could live in Genk, and de Bruyne felt at home with them, as he explained in the Players' Tribune: "The year went by, and I was doing well in school, doing well in football. No fights. No problems." At the end of the season, de Bruyne returned home for a few months to see his family.