'Has that quality': Kevin De Bruyne makes bold 'top five' claim about Chelsea legend Eden Hazard
Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has just made a big claim about Chelsea legend and former Belgium teammate Eden Hazard.
Eden Hazard, who retired from professional football in 2023, lit up the sport during his career. In particular, the 34-year-old left-winger cemented his legacy as a Chelsea legend because of a sensational seven-year period at Stamford Bridge between 2012-2019.
During his Blues spell, the skilful attacker scored 110 goals and created 85 assists in 352 appearances, winning six major trophies. He also played at Lille and Real Madrid in his club career, plus was a talisman for the Belgium national side.
In a recent interview, David Luiz compared Chelsea’s Cole Palmer to Hazard, which piles some real pressure on the current attacking playmaker.
- READ MORE: Chelsea may have just found their new Eden Hazard after £84m transfer target’s very impressive stat
Kevin De Bruyne makes bold claim about Chelsea legend Eden Hazard
During a segment with Sky Sports Premier League, Kevin De Bruyne, 33, named his former international teammate Hazard as Belgium’s most iconic player. On top of that, he boldly claimed the Chelsea icon was a “top five” player in the world.
De Bruyne said: “It has to be Eden. He’s so, so good. I think talent-wise he’s probably top five in the world behind [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, Neymar probably. Then Eden on his day was so, so good.
“He has that quality of 1v1 dribbling. A little bit of I don’t care I just play football having a good time. He’s a nice guy. We played since we were 16. Unfortunately he had the injuries when he came to Madrid and retired… He was such a talented player.”
We suspect many fans may think it’s a bit over the top to name Hazard a “top five” player of his time. However, like De Bruyne, we may be a little bit bias towards the Belgian wizard.
He never got too close to winning the individual prize for the world’s best player, but featured on the Ballon d’Or shortlist five times in his career.
| Year | Final position |
| 2019 | 13th |
| 2018 | 8th |
| 2017 | 19th |
| 2015 | 8th |
| 2013 | 22nd |
Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon recently raved about Hazard by naming him as the most talented winger to ever play in the Premier League. He’s certainly left a huge legacy in English football during just seven years at Chelsea.
Elsewhere, Chelsea winger Pedro Neto named Hazard as his idol that he used to watch growing up.
Cole Palmer trying to pick up Eden Hazard crown
Hazard was the last truly special individual to wear the Chelsea colours and leave the supporters speechless on a weekly basis. On his day, he was in the thick of the conversation alongside the very elite players.
At this moment in time, Palmer is the new version of that at Stamford Bridge. Of course, the 22-year-old is still a few steps behind as he continues to develop.
Speaking earlier in the 2024/25 season, Jamie Carragher suggested Palmer is reaching Hazard’s level.
It says a lot about Palmer that his form is being flagged after going five appearances across all competitions without scoring or assisting.
from Latest Chelsea News and Updates - The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/P4HIbDa
Post a Comment