De Bruyne announced on Friday he would be leaving City when his contract expires in June.
“The club has to move forward, move on, and replicating this kind of player is so difficult,” he said. “But yeah, these are the qualities and things we have to find. Of course it’s difficult. People say Erling (Haaland) came to replace Sergio (Aguero), but Sergio was irreplaceable for so many things and it wasn’t just about the goals.
“Sergio gave something that is unique and Erling will be unique. Sergio scored to create the most-important moment in the club’s history, that goal in that moment, everybody knows, QPR.
“Some things can’t be substituted, they are so important. I would love to be eternal here and Sergio and now Kevin, but it’s not possible.
“In England or in every country, there are players who are unique, that represent what the club want to be and Kevin is one of them. Now it’s a bit of a shock for the fans, but people remember how blessed, how happy they were for many, many years to have a player who gave absolutely everything.
“Always Kevin will be there in my memory and he cannot be forgotten."