Former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has named Eden Hazard as the best-ever player he played alongside during his time with club.
Cahill spent seven years at Stamford Bridge, winning two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, and the Champions League. Of all the superstars he lined up with, he credits Hazard's natural ability as why he was the very best.
“When I look back at some of the squads I played in at Chelsea, sometimes I still have to pinch myself even now! They were all full of international stars and serial winners. I think Eden Hazard is the best player I played with when it comes to his natural ability." Cahill told Parimatch.
"He went out and just played with a smile on his face, almost as if he were just playing in the park with his mates. He could turn a game around by himself so he was definitely one of the best players I’ve ever played with.
“People would come to the stadium, whether they were home or away fans, and they were coming just to watch him play. That is the biggest amount of respect you can put on his name; people came to watch him play. Some of the things he did on the pitch were phenomenal. A lot of times he was playing on the left when I was on the left side of a back three and it was a joy for me. I would just give him the ball at every opportunity.”
Hazard played 352 times for Chelsea, scoring 110 goals and was named PFA Player of the Year in 2015 as he helped the Blues win the Premier League title. The Belgian left in 2019 to sign for Real Madrid and Cahill admits he was surprised the move never worked out for his former team-mate.
Adding: “It is a shame and a surprise that things didn’t turn out the way he would’ve wanted them to at Real Madrid.
“When my dad used to come and watch me for Chelsea, he used to say that Hazard was one of those players that you’d pay to watch. He probably came to watch Eden rather than me to be honest!”
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