Eden Hazard has backed Ross Barkley to thrive heavily following his impressive spell for Chelsea this season.
Barkley arrived at the Stamford Bridge when Antonio Conte was in charge but didn’t make much progress as he had been sidelined following a prolonged injury spell.
But the 24 year old has been the preferred choice for Maurizio Sarri and has produced a number of impressive performances for the Blues. His return to form hadn’t gone unnoticed as he was recalled by Gareth Southgate for the UEFA Nations League clashes against Croatia and Spain.
Southgate already asked for more creativity in the middle of the pitch and the inclusion of Barkley could be the answer to the problem.
Hazard insists the midfielder has all the potential to be World class. “He played a fantastic game and it is not just because he scored a goal or that he made an assist. You can see on the pitch that he is very strong.
“He had some bad moments in the last year or two years with injury but I think he can reach a fantastic level because he is a fantastic player.
“I remember watching him at Everton. He is still young so I think he is a good player for the future with Chelsea.
“If you give Ross the freedom to play and the confidence on the pitch, he can be one of the best in the world in midfield. He is strong, he is powerful, he can dribble, he is clever, he can shoot, he can score and he can make assists.
“If he has players around him to help him to play, he can be one of the best.”
