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What's the story?
Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has admitted that there are only two players he would pay to watch in modern football- Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Chelsea ace Eden Hazard.
In case you didn't know...
Cole has had the pleasure of playing with some of the game's most gifted players during his stints with West Ham, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
The former England international rubbed shoulders with Hazard during his loan spell at French outfit Lille in the 2011-12 season.
Since then, Hazard has moved to Chelsea, where he has established himself as a club great despite his struggles with consistency.
This season, the 28-year-old enjoyed an incredible season, with 19 goals for the club in all competitions. In the Premier League, the forward contributed to 31 goals, owing to his 16 goals and 15 assists in the league.
Meanwhile, Messi has netted a staggering 51 goals for Barcelona in all competitions, winning both the Pichichi trophy and the European Golden Shoe, as a result. The Argentine ace also led his side to consecutive LaLiga titles, ahead of Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid.
The heart of the matter
Cole has heaped praise on Messi and Hazard, stating that if he was ever out of money and had to take his kids to watch a player, it would be the talismanic duo.
According to The Sun, he said, "There’s not many players in the world I’d pay to watch. Probably two — and that’s Lionel Messi and Eden Hazard."
"Eden mesmerises you with what he can do with the ball. When he or Messi plays you just see the beauty of football."
"Sometimes with other greats you see the strain. Some people like the idea of that but with those two they make it seem easy. Footballers first, athletes second."
"If I was down to my last few pounds and I had to pay to take my kids to watch a player it would be Messi and Hazard."
What's next?
While Argentina have a friendly against Nicaragua on June 8, Belgium have a Euro qualifier against Kazakhstan on June 7.
