Steven Gerrard opens up about Eden Hazard at Chelsea
Steven Gerrard heaps praise on Eden Hazard following his recent good form for Chelsea
Steven Gerrard believes that Eden Hazard needs to consistently deliver in the Champions League for Chelsea this season to raise his profile.
The Belgian playmaker earned plenty of praise for his strong performance for the west London club on Wednesday night as he was named man of the match in Chelsea’s dramatic 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Spain.
The 26-year-old is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest attacking talents but like most of his Chelsea team-mates, he suffered an inexplicable dip in form in the 2015-16 campaign as the Blues finished 10th.
Hazard was in much improved form last season as Chelsea finished top of the table under Antonio Conte and the playmaker looks like he is getting back to his best form after a lay-off with an ankle injury.
Gerrard believes that Hazard cannot be compared to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but he feels that he still has the potential to be one of the world’s best.
Speaking on BT Sport on Wednesday night, former Liverpool star Gerrard said: “I’m sure he has got that drive [to be the best].
“I think he probably needs a few big moments in big games later on [in the Champions League] to be recognised as delivering in this competition.
“People are trying to compare him to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – there’s no one who can compare to those two.
“But certainly at the level underneath, I think he’s already there.”
Hazard will be hoping to start for Chelsea when the Blues take on Manchester City in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
