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What's the story?
Chelsea legend Didier Drogba sang praises of his former teammate and current Stamford Bridge key-man Eden Hazard and believes that the Belgian is already a Blues legend, he told Goal.
Drogba, who retired from professional football last November, said that Hazard's performances for the Premier League club have been of the highest levels and his achievements with them have earned him a legendary status at Stamford Bridge, amid rumors linking him with a move away from the club.
In case you didn't know...
The former Ivory Coast striker had two spells at Chelsea, scoring 164 goals in 381 games and winning four Premier Leagues and was part of the team under Roberto Di Matteo, which lifted the Champions League trophy in 2012.
Drogba, who did not play top-flight football until the age of 23, is The Blues' all-time leading overseas goalscorer, with 164 goals to his name. Hazard is right behind him in the charts, scoring 105 goals for the club since 2012.
The heart of the matter
Drogba, who spent one season playing with Hazard in Chelsea's attacking third, feels that the 28-year-old is the top dog at the club now. Drogba told Goal at Geneva Motorshow, courtesy of Yokohama Tyres:
"He has become more clinical. He is leading the team, carrying the team on his shoulders and he is doing that well."
The 40-year-old, widely considered to be a modern-day legend himself, said that Hazard has now achieved so much with the club, that he's a legend, irrespective of whether he leaves the club for Real Madrid at the end of the season or not. He said:
"He is a legend [regardless of what happens], look at what he achieved in six years at the club. He won the league twice, won the FA Cup, won Player of the Year. We are talking about Eden Hazard. Please!"
Finally, the Ivorian claimed that Hazard's brilliance was reminiscent of Chelsea's current assistant first-team coach, Gianfranco Zola, who played in a similar position during his spell at the London-based club: He added:
"The closest I can bring to him if I compare, if I may, is [Gianfranco] Zola."
What's next?
Hazard's form would be crucial for Maurizio Sarri's men, as they chase a top-four finish and eye a second Europa League title by the end of the season.
