“The closest thing we’ve ever seen to Lionel Messi” – Ex-Chelsea star compared to Messi and rated above Salah by podcaster 

Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard has been compared to Lionel Messi on a podcast called 'Three's a Crowd'.

On the Instagram handle with the username 'Thr33's a crowd', a clip from their podcast showed one host waxing lyrical about prime Hazard. He said:

"I believe, Hazard, prime Hazard, was the closest player to (Lionel) Messi. We have seen bro."

The host added:

"The way he could control a football game; the ball goes to him and you know something's going to happen. Think about it!"

Avid football fans wouldn't disagree, as Hazard's dribbling skills and ability to dictate a game's tempo during his peak years at Chelsea often drew comparisons with Lionel Messi.

The Belgian shone with the Blues, making 352 appearances across competitions and winning six titles, including two in the Premier League. He bagged 110 goals and 92 assists in seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.

The 'Thr33's a crowd' podcast clip had the host denouncing the idea that Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah is better than Hazard, despite the Egyptian's prolific goalscoring ability:

"I don't know how man are telling me, talking about f*****g Salah, comparing him to Hazard. That debates p****s me off so much!"

At this point, another guest on the show, interjects, asking the previous speaker to respect people's opinions, to which the host responded:

"I respect Salah's ting bro, but has Salah ever been the undisputed best player in the league? F**k no!"

His views drew the ire of Liverpool fans in the comments, who mocked the assessment. One fan wrote:

"Prime Hazard 1-2 years (laughing emoji) ... Salah has had 6 better years"

Given the different positions in which the players operate, there cannot be a direct comparison between Hazard and Salah. However, the current situation of the players are starkly different.

While Salah continues to lead the line for Liverpool, Hazard has fallen off the grace, leaving Real Madrid this summer after a troubled four-year stay plagued by recurring fitness issues.

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Eden Hazard's comparisons to Lionel Messi didn't last long

There was a time when Eden Hazard was seen as the 'Lionel Messi of the Premier League', or even the 'next Lionel Messi'. However, these claims eventually fell flat, with the Belgian going off the boil after leaving Chelsea.

In 2019, the midfielder joined Real Madrid in a highly pulibicised move, but it ended in being one of the most disastrous transfers of all time. Hazard was nowhere near his best with the Spanish giants, looking a pale shadow of his former rip-raoring self, missing many games through injuries.

In June this year, he and Real Madrid mutually agreed to terminate his contract, ending his nightmare run. Hazard is now a free agent and still looking for a club.