“I’d probably say Hazard” - Former PL star names Chelsea icon as toughest ever opponent
Former Premier League defender Ryan Bertrand named former Chelsea star Eden Hazard as the hardest player he faced in his career. The former Southampton man pointed to the Belgian's low centre of gravity as a quality that made him difficult to play against.
In conversation with talkSPORT, he said:
“I’d probably say Hazard. Playing against Hazard was probably a tough one because of his low centre of gravity.”
Hazard is one of Chelsea's most iconic players in the Premier League era. After joining from Ligue 1 side Lille in 2012, the Belgian helped the side win the Premier League twice and the Europa League once. His electric dribbling and ability in the final third enamoured himself to Blues' fans. Overall, he made 352 appearances for the side, bagging 110 goals and 85 assists.
Bertrand played both alongside and against Hazard in his Premier League career. He was part of the Blues squad that lifted the Champions League in 2012. He eventually moved to Southampton, facing off nine times against Hazard.
Fabrizio Romano issues update on Chelsea's pursuit of Leicester City midfielder
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Chelsea have reached an agreement with Leicester City to sign midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The Blues are set to pay a reported fee of £30 million to sign the 25-year-old, with academy prospect Micheal Golding expected to go the other way in a separate deal.
Speaking on the Daily Briefing, Romano said:
“Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City – the deal is done for £30m!"
“The player had a medical at Brighton earlier this week but now he’s joining Chelsea because he wanted to wait for them. Michael Golding is moving from Chelsea to Leicester as part of the agreement."
“So it’s one more midfielder for Chelsea, wanted by the board but also by Enzo Maresca, who knows the player well from their time together as Leicester won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League last season."
Dewsbury-Hall enjoyed a strong season with new Blues manager Enzo Maresca at the King Power Stadium in 2023-24, guiding Leicester back to the Premier League. He bagged 12 goals and 14 assists in the Championship.
The Englishman will join a packed midfield at Stamford Bridge, which already boasts the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Andrey Santos, and Carney Chukwuemeka.