Kevin de Bruyne can become as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, says Roberto Martinez

De Bruyne's national team manager is convinced the midfielder is one of the best in the world

The Belgian midfielder has been outstanding this season (Getty)

Belgium national team manager Roberto Martinez has said that Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne has the potential to become as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

De Bruyne has been outstanding for City this season, notching up six assists and scoring twice with Pep Guardiola’s side currently sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table.

And Martinez thinks that if he can maintain his current level, the 26-year-old will prove once and for all he is one of the greatest players in the game.

“Absolutely [he can]," Martinez told ESPN while away on international duty.

“I think when you see the players that you mention [Messi and Ronaldo], obviously you [have to] become consistent with your performances in order to reach that level. That happens over the course of a few seasons.

“The level of performance that Kevin is having this season [and] the level of performance he had last campaign shows you that he has the potential of reaching those highs. And there are not many players that you could say that about.”

Martinez also credited Guardiola with the midfielder’s recent improvement, hailing the ‘special connection’ between the par.

“I think that you can see that he's got a real special connection [with Guardiola],” Martinez added.

De Bruyne has previously credited Guardiola for making him a better player (Getty)

“When a manager and a player hit the same way of thinking they become almost a manager on the pitch. I think Kevin De Bruyne's performances are exactly what the manager wants.

“[Guardiola] gets the best out of Kevin and Kevin is a player that is ready now to take that role and make a big, big difference on the pitch.

“When you get a new manager coming into a club with new ideas, you have to think and the players get pushed out of their comfort zone and I think Kevin De Bruyne has taken that and is using it to take his game to a different level.”