With Eden Hazard set to depart Chelsea for Real Madrid after a hugely successful seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge, we’ve pulled out some of the best quotes on the Belgian from figures across the football world.
What do you think of Hazard and the impact he’s had at Chelsea? Let us know by leaving your farewell message for Eden in the comments section.Cesc Fabregas: ‘He is very good playing with his back to goal and that’s a difficult quality, especially in England. They press you high, they go in very hard, and he has this strong body with low gravity. He is very quick on the turn.‘For players like me who always try to play between the lines, it helps a lot. That’s why I basically look for him all the time. I also think he is very underrated with his final ball. He has got a lot of good vision. He is intelligent. He doesn’t just dribble and then pass it back. There is a purpose to everything Eden does.’
Didier Drogba: ‘He is a legend at Chelsea, look at what he achieved in six years at the club.‘He won the league twice, the Europa League twice, won the FA Cup, won Player of the Year. We are talking about Eden Hazard, a player who has led the team so well.
Gianfranco Zola on Hazard’s goal v Liverpool: ‘It was an amazing goal. The power in the finish, the ability to go through so many players, it was exceptional. Everybody was stunned.‘We didn’t expect anything from that situation. But this is the ability of Eden. He can turn something into a goal where nobody else would have seen a goal.’
Maurizio Sarri: ‘Hazard is a pleasure during the game, but sometimes during the week he is a problem as he is very talented and gets bored in training because everything is easy!‘Right now, Eden is one of the most important players in Europe and in the world. I think he can improve further, and he has to try to become the best in Europe.’
Frank Lampard: ‘He’s in the top few players in the world, we all know that. I knew his potential from day one when he trained at Chelsea a few years ago now.‘We’ve seen him in the Premier League and he has been a joy to have. He was a joy to play with.’Juan Mata: ‘He has pace, he has quality and he has vision, touch, skills, it's so easy. He always chooses the right option and I'm really, really happy to play alongside him.’John Terry: Eden Hazard, what a player! The best!
Thierry Henry: ‘I think he can be a difference maker everywhere, he especially was for Belgium. When Eden is on tune, he is very difficult to play against and he is rightly seen as one of the best players in the world.Alvaro Morata: ‘It’s not difficult playing with this kind of player. ‘He’s one of the best three players in the world, and it’s easy for me to play with him.’Leroy Sane: ‘Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar and Hazard are on a level no one else can currently compete with. I’m still far from being on their level. In the whole world, only a few players are.’