“He made everyone happy by watching him play” - Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski names Chelsea hero as his favorite player
Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevski has named Chelsea legend Eden Hazard as his favorite Premier League winger of all time. The Swedish forward lavished praise on the retired Belgium international while listing the things he learnt from watching tapes of Hazard.
During an interview with TNT Sports, Kulusevski was asked to rate the top five wingers ever to grace the English top tier. The Sweden international picked former Tottenham star Gareth Bale at number five, followed by former Chelsea winger Willian at number four.
He then chose Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah as his next pick, lauding the Egyptian for his exceptional goal-scoring abilities. The 23-year-old winger then put Cristiano Ronaldo in the No. 2 spot, insisting that the Portugal international is one of the greatest players in the sport.
Finally, Kulusevski chose Hazard as his favorite Premier League winger of all time. The Tottenham forward said (as quoted by football.london):
"At first, I have to say Eden Hazard. He has been my favourite player since I was young. He made me happy, he made everyone happy by watching him play because he was just a joy, freedom, just like a child playing football with his dribbling, scoring, assisting and having fun because that's what football is about."
He added:
"I watched him a lot so some movements, some turns with the ball, I try to copy him a lot. Even though I'm much taller and it's more difficult, there are some traits I would take from him."
Hazard was known for his eye-catching dribbling skills and incredible creativity during his time at Stamford Bridge. The Belgian recorded 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 appearances for Chelsea before joining Real Madrid in 2019.
The winger had a tough time in the Spanish capital, struggling with multiple injuries. Hazard managed 76 appearances for Los Blancos, scoring only seven goals and serving 12 assists in that time. The Belgian announced his retirement in August 2023 after his contract at Real Madrid expired this summer.
"It happened fast" - Cole Palmer explains why he left Manchester City to join Chelsea
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer has opened up about his summer move to west London. The England international joined the Blues in a £42.5 million transfer in the final stages of the window from Manchester City.
He has now explained that he left the reigning English champions in search of game time. Palmer made only two Premier League starts for the Cityzens during the 2022/23 campaign.
After his excellent start to life at Stamford Bridge, the Chelsea forward has been called up to the England squad. Speaking about his move ahead of the upcoming international fixtures, Palmer said (via BBC):
"It happened fast, to be fair. I spoke to someone at Chelsea and I was speaking to my dad but I really didn't know what to do. I was just thinking about it for a couple of days, near enough every minute of the day. I just wanted regular game time."
Palmer's wishes did come true as he continues his stellar form for the Blues this season. The English attacking midfielder has scored four goals and provided two assists in ten league appearances for the club this term.