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19 March 2024

Meet Chelsea's £200million star

Barcelona's Sergi Roberto Carnicer, left, and Chelsea Eden Hazard battle for a loose ball during the first half of an International Champions Cup soccer match in Washington, Tuesday, July 28, 2015. he game was decided on penalty kicks. Chelsea won 3-2. (AP)

Published
By PA Sports

When Eden Hazard receives the ball, there is a brief silence as onlookers await what is next.

In a fraction of a second, those watching at home move forwards to the edge of their sofas and those in the stadium clock who is on the ball before an eruption of a deafening, expectant noise.

Opposition defenders reel back and his team-mates prepare to react to what the Belgium playmaker is about to do.

The 24-year-old, who on Sunday night won the PFA Player of the Year award, has ability from another planet, says his Chelsea team-mate Branislav Ivanovic.

"Sometimes he looks so impressive, like he is not from this world," said the right-back, one of six Chelsea players in the PFA team of the year.

Hazard's grace is balletic, his pace searing and his directness rapier-like.

Often his mere presence on the ball is enough to distract defenders and create space for others.

Whether Hazard runs himself or passes the ball on, his impact can be devastating.

So devastating that the Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho values Hazard at £200million.

"£100m each leg," the Blues boss said in recent days, "because he's very young."

Mourinho has lauded the maturity and consistency of Hazard in recent weeks and the self-proclaimed Special One deserves plenty of credit for moulding Hazard into what he is today.

The demanding Portuguese has asked for more defensively of Hazard in his two seasons back at Stamford Bridge and the forward has delivered.

"These are the kind of players that win matches for the team, but you must work them in a way where they don't lose matches for the team," Mourinho said.

"In my career I lost matches because of my best players. In this moment Eden is in a state of mind and a tactical approach where this season we won matches because of him and we didn't lose matches because of him.

"This is the player I like because he's a talented player that understands what the team needs."

The Chelsea manager says Hazard, who joined from Lille in 2012 for £32million, values collective awards more than individual ones.

Mourinho speaks of a "kid" who is humble, hard working and - despite being the most fouled player in the Premier League this term - refuses to "cheat".

Hazard has applied a finishing touch this season, scoring 18 times, and the championship title he covets is within reach for Chelsea.

Mourinho's valuation followed praise from Zidine Zidane, Hazard's idol whose position as coach of Real Madrid led to inevitable speculation of a move to the Bernabeu.

"I enjoy everything he does on the pitch," Zidane told fifa.com.

Hazard, though, is happy at Stamford Bridge, having recently signed a contract extension until 2021.

Mourinho and Zidane already see Hazard as a rival to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messias one of the world's three best players.

"I like the way he carries himself, that decisive streak in him and the fact that he's improving every year," Zidane added.

"He can still get better too, and I think he's a big reason why Chelsea are on top of the table."

Mourinho and Zidane expect Hazard to get better.

It is a frightening prospect for those in opposition; it is a delightful prospect for the rest of us.