Chelsea’s maverick winger Eden Hazard has claimed that he is in line to emulate the achievments of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and he has stated that he is as good, if not better than the two at his age.
The young Belgium international scored a superb hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Newcastle United at the weekend.
But speaking to French Newspaper L’Equipe, Hazard claims that he is as good as both Messi and Ronaldo were at his age.
‘I’m much younger than them. They have won things that I haven’t,’ he said. ‘But I’m as good as they were at my age. If I want to be like them I need to win trophies’
He added: ‘I don’t care what other people think about me, frankly. Ronaldo and Messi, the two best players in the world, are loved and hated. That’s the way it is.’
Hazard lifted the Europa League trophy last season and could be set to add the Premier League crown to his medal haul this season.
And, so long as that trend continues, Hazard insists he is happy with life at Stamford Bridge.
Asked if he was happy with his decision to join Chelsea in the summer of 2012, Hazard replied:
‘We’ll see in three or four years, if I’ve lifted trophies.
‘I came (to Chelsea) because I knew I would be playing a lot of games. I was successful last season.
‘I have made plenty of friends and people have come to appreciate me straight away.’
The former Lille playmaker is having a superb personal season at the Bridge, and has been a key performer in Chelsea’s ever growing title charge.
The hat-trick on Saturday was certainly a bold statement from the Belgian, as he looks to close in on a World Cup spot in the summer.
By Ben Reardon
@BenReardon1
