De Bruyne scored both goals as City beat Club America 2-1 in our first pre-season fixture, including one exquisite curled finish.
The likes of James McAtee, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, Kayky and others got on the pitch in Houston and Onuoha believes they will have learnt a lot from seeing an experienced player step up even during pre-season.
Speaking on our Matchday Live show, Onuoha said: “He’s getting to that awkward point where we just expect it from him now.
“He’s been at the club for a long time, he understands the journey and the joy of winning the league.
“Some of the players on the field there were just becoming teenagers when he first signed, now they’re playing alongside him.
“He’s running around, winning tackles and he’s one of the best players in the world. If he’s doing that then there’s no excuse for any other player not to do that.”
Several Academy players featured in the win over the Mexican giants, playing alongside the likes of De Bruyne, Rodrigo, Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker - all highly experienced interntionals.
That dynamic made Onuoha reflect on one City squad that had a profound impact on him during his playing days.
“I remember the 2011/12 squad, that was the most professional I ever saw. That left its mark on me and I spent the rest of my career looking to meet those standards in everything I did.”
Matchday Live will be back on Saturday night for City’s meeting with Bayern Munich.
