Belgium coach Roberto Martinez says a new maturity has taken Kevin de Bruyne's game to the next level.

Manchester City ace De Bruyne, 28, was on course to set a new record for Premier League assists when the season was halted in March after an outstanding individual campaign that had made him a frontrunner for the PFA Player of the Year award.

“Kevin started as a very young, promising player in Genk, and from there he had a really tough period [at Chelsea]. He's become an exceptional player after facing adversity," Martinez told The Times.

“He never looked to blame anyone, never looked to be happy [content, satisfied] where he was, and when he made it at Wolfsburg, and going to Manchester City and now working with Pep Guardiola, he's become a player in the best moment of his career.

“He controls the space like nobody. He can execute the pass with precision and with the speed of actions that not many players can and now he has the maturity and emotional intelligence to perform the way he did in the Bernabéu."

He added: “Team goes 1-0 down and he has that strength of character to bring the team back into the game and even winning.

“Psychologically and mentally, Kevin is now in a fantastic moment, which highlights his real strength, that technical ability of using space and time with exceptional touch."