Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne has given the ultimate praise to Chelsea legend Eden Hazard, claiming only three players in world football were more talented than him.
Hazard arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2012, when Chelsea secured his signature from Lille for £32m, beating a host of top European clubs to land one of the brightest young talents in football. His rise in France was nothing short of spectacular—he won Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year before becoming the youngest ever winner of the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. More importantly, he played a crucial role in Lille’s title-winning campaign, just before Paris Saint-Germain’s dominance took hold.
There was huge excitement when Hazard arrived in the Premier League, and he more than lived up to expectations. Over the next seven years, he became one of the most electrifying and gifted players to ever wear the Chelsea shirt, dazzling fans with his dribbling, creativity, and match-winning ability.
Hazard scored over 100 goals for Chelsea and lifted six major trophies, including two Premier League titles and two Europa Leagues. But beyond the numbers, he was pure magic on the pitch—one of the most dynamic and thrilling footballers to ever grace English football.
De Bruyne, who played alongside Hazard for Belgium from a young age, believes his former international teammate was one of the very best the game has seen, ranking him just behind Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar in terms of raw talent.
“For me, it has to be Eden,” De Bruyne told Sky Sports when asked to name the most iconic Belgian to ever play in the Premier League. “He is so, so good.
“I think, talent-wise, he’s probably like top-five in the world behind Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar. Eden on his day was so, so good.
“His quality in one-v-one, his dribbling, he never seemed to care, he was just playing football.
“I played with him since we were both 16 and he’s a really nice guy too. Unfortunately, he had the injuries when he came to Madrid and he retired.
“I spoke to him the other day before the Chelsea game, his son was coming to the game. He’s enjoying his life and I’m happy he’s happy, he was such a talented player.”
Hazard’s talent was undeniable. After leaving Chelsea for Real Madrid in 2019, injuries robbed him of the chance to replicate his brilliance in Spain. But that doesn’t diminish his Premier League legacy—one that Chelsea fans will cherish forever.
On the international stage, Hazard was equally impressive, earning 126 caps for Belgium—the fourth-most in the nation’s history—while leading them to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.
For Chelsea supporters, he will always be one of the greatest to ever wear the Blue shirt. And if De Bruyne’s words are anything to go by, the footballing world agrees.