Antonio Conte is regarded as one of the best mangers in modern football— a reputation that has been largely built around his ability to identify and improve the most talented players.

The former Chelsea boss has certainly worked with a good number of such players, having also coached notable clubs like Juventus, Inter Milan and Tottenham.

For Conte though, there aren’t many footballers that are more gifted than ex-Chelsea and Belgium national team winger, Eden Hazard, who he has now revealed is one of the best he has had the privilege of working with.

He told The Telegraph in an interview: “I think Hazard was one of the best players I ever had in my career as a coach.

“When there is a lot of talent, you have to push a bit more than other players who have less talent. It’s important to give a direction. This direction is not simple if you want to win. If you want to enjoy, it’s totally different. But I enjoy to win.”

Conte spent two seasons coaching Hazard and his Chelsea teammates at Stamford Bridge, and won both the Premier League and the FA Cup during the time.

The eccentric coach also said in a recent interview that he held talks with the Chelsea hierarchy about signing both Virgil van Dijk and Romelu Lukaku to make his squad better in his second season in charge, but the moves never materialised, and one can’t help imagining what could have really happened if his request was granted.