Eden Hazard: Wayne Rooney would be great signing for Chelsea

Wayne Rooney clashes with Eden Hazard during the EPL match between Chelsea and Man United at Stamford Bridge last season

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has claimed Manchester United‘s Wayne Rooney would be a “brilliant signing” if the 27-year old English footballer were to join Chelsea.

Rooney, who just returned to England last week from Bangkok after suffering a hamstring injury, will be missing out on Manchester United’s tour of Asia and Australia.

However, United boss David Moyes has repeatedly stated that the English forward will not go under the hammer after Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho expressed his desire for Rooney, whose thoughts were echoed by Hazard.

“Rooney would be a brilliant signing,” Hazard said. “He’s a great player who has the experience and he’s still only young, at 27.

“He’s got a few years left to play. But it’s not up to me. It’s not my decision.”

Hazard even claimed that there was a time when Jose Mourinho tried to sign the Belgian attacking-midfielder to Spanish club Real Madrid while the now 22-year old footballer was playing for Lille.

“He told me he’d asked Lille, but I wanted to stay there until I was 21 and develop my game,” said Hazard, who moved to Stamford Bridge last summer.

“I must have been 19 or 20 at the time. Real Madrid is a wonderful team, but I had so much still to prove in the French league. I stayed because I didn’t want to leave too early.”

In the upcoming season, Hazard is enthusiastically looking forward to improving his performance from his first season at Stamford Bridge, under the seasoned Mourinho.

“He told us all what he expected of us, what he wants to see,” Hazard said.

“To me he told me to be ambitious with my game, to try things and that, if I do that, I can do something special this year.

“I told him I wanted to do myself justice, to do as well as I can, and that is all he wants to see from all of us. I hope it will end up being productive.”

Hazard, who is one of the pillars among the talented, young Belgian players in the Chelsea squad, feels that fellow Belgian as well as Chelsea team-mates Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne, who were loaned to West Brom and Werder Bremen respectively last season, could make a significant impact for Chelsea in the upcoming season.

“He has a real chance. What do you ask of a young striker? To score goals – and he can do that,” commented Hazard on Lukaku.

On de Bruyne, Hazard added: “It’s a pleasure to play with him. It’s great he’s staying with us this season.”

Hazard also tipped Belgium national team-mate Christian Benteke to succeed at a big club.

Hazard said: “Benteke is my friend. We get on very well.

“He had an unbelievable first season for a young striker in the Premier League.

“His dream is to play even higher. I think he’s got all the attributes to do well at a big club.”

Source: Sky Sports