'A gem' - Man United legend says Newcastle United undone by Man City's ‘crown jewel’

Rio Ferdinand was stunned by Kevin De Bruyne’s masterclass in Manchester City’s 3-2 turnaround win against Newcastle United.

St James’ Park fell silent as they watched their side surrender a 2-1 lead with 26 minutes remaining. Pep Guardiola introduced De Bruyne from the bench for his first Premier League appearance since the opening day of the season - and he did not disappoint.

The Belgian bagged a stunning equaliser before unlocking the Toon backline in stoppage time to set up Oscar Bobb’s winner. An out-of-steam Newcastle were left licking their wounds as they slumped to a fourth consecutive top-flight defeat.

Former Manchester United defender Ferdinand hailed De Bruyne as the “crown jewel” of Guardiola’s side. Working as a pundit for TNT Sports, the 45-year-old also backed City to gain ground in the title race now their midfield maestro has returned.

“That man you are back, you are the gem, you are the jewel in the crown,” Ferdinand said about De Bruyne. “His influence and impact is beyond the pitch. You see in the training ground with the standards that are set, instilling belief in other players and giving them confidence.

“You look at them (City) now, watch the momentum kick in. These guys know what to do and when to put the pedal to the floor. Everyone is going to be looking over their shoulders and thinking: ‘They're coming’ . They know how to get the job done.

“When you have someone of his stature and importance back in the dressing room, everybody's shoulders are pinned back and their chests are out a bit more. You saw it when he came out onto the pitch. It took him four minutes to make an impact with a beautiful goal but the assist was the one that got me off my seat.”