Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has revealed that he intends to become one of the world’s best footballers, much like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Belgium international has scored nine goals so far this season for Jose Mourinho’s men and has developed a sensational partnership with Brazilian, Oscar, so much so, it lead the club to selling Player of the Year Juan Mata to Manchester United.
The 23-year-old has revealed in an interview that he believes he has the same attributes as the world’s best, and he wants to awards to go with it.
“Of course I want to be the best in the world,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Previously I was more worried about the game itself: football was just a game for me, I wanted to amuse myself and didn’t bother what the people thought about me.
“But since I’m here at Chelsea, I’ve become more aware of my qualities, I guess. Before I knew I was a good player, but not one of the better players in the world.
“Now I realise that I can compete with Messi and Ronaldo in the near future, if I put in some more effort. I don’t know if I will ever reach their level. It’ll be hard, they have incredible stats, but I accept the challenge.”
“I agree, I’ve matured,” Hazard added. “On the pitch, I haven’t changed much. I’m still the same, but I realised that, if I want to be among the best in the world, I’ll have to perform consistently, game in, game out.
“I’m now important for the team, I give good passes, I score more goals and Chelsea is performing well.
“Everyone expects more from me. I hear it every day. Maybe I need these little comments, too. When a manager always says ‘Eden, you’re doing great’, there is a threat that you can snooze.
“As a professional, you have to challenge yourself every day. Put yourself in front of a mirror. The manager is close to his players, but when he has something to say, he does to your face, in a friendly way. And he knows how to challenge his players.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
