Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne used his time away from soccer during to a post-operation recovery period to reconnect with his family, the midfielder said after his first game back on Sunday.

De Bruyne came on as a second-half substitute as City beat Huddersfield Town 5-0 in the FA Cup fourth round tie, and assisted Jeremy Doku in his first appearance since a hamstring surgery in August.

"I've played the last 10 years non-stop, so maybe it was good for me to reset a little bit and take care of myself when it is not really possible during the year," De Bruyne told reporters.

"I enjoyed it in a way. At the beginning it was a big blow but I knew I was going to be out for four or five months so I thought to myself, I could enjoy the things that I've not been able to do with my family and friends.

"I turned a disadvantage into an advantage," he added.

The Belgium international said he enjoyed driving his children to school and sports practice.

"I was basically a taxi driver, but I enjoyed it ... it was nice to bring my son and daughter to their practices and see their games. I think they enjoyed that Daddy could watch the games," he said.