"I enjoyed to play with him" - Eden Hazard heaps praise on former Chelsea teammate while naming dream 5-a-side team
Former Chelsea winger Eden Hazard recently picked his dream five-a-side team of only Blues players and heaped praise on Juan Mata in the process.
Hazard left the west London side in 2019 after an incredible seven-year stay and joined Real Madrid. After a poor four-year stint with the Spanish giants, he retired last summer. The Belgian is now set to return to Stamford Bridge for a Soccer Aid match.
During an interview with Soccer Aid, Hazard was asked to name a five-a-side team with only Chelsea players. He picked himself, Didier Drogba, Gianfranco Zola, Frank Lampard and Juan Mata. He, in particular, heaped praise on Mata, saying (via The Boot Room):
“I’m going to play with Juan Mata also. Magic left foot. Someone who will never miss control or miss a pass, so I enjoyed to play with him. We only played two years together, but wow, what a moment."
Hazard and Mata shared the pitch 69 times and also had six joint goal contributions.
Mata, meanwhile, had a stellar career at Chelsea, joining them from Valencia in 2011. He made 135 appearances for them, scoring 33 goals and providing 57 assists. He won numerous trophies with them, including one UEFA Champions League, before leaving for Manchester United in 2014.
Chelsea star's former club teammate highlights his versatility
Mykhaylo Mudryk's former teammate Georgiy Sudakov recently heaped praise on his compatriot and spoke about his career at Stamford Bridge so far.
The Blues signed Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk for a reported fee of €100 million in January 2023. The winger has immensely struggled at the club, registering just six goals and five assists in 47 games across competitions this season.
Mauricio Pochettino has deployed the Ukrainian in multiple positions this season, with his performances in attacking midfield impressive. However, Sudakov believes that Mudryk can also play as a centre-forward. He told 90min:
“Mykhailo is a talented player, he can play in any position, not only on the wing, he can play in the centre of the field, as a centre forward. I am sure that he has a bright future ahead of him at Chelsea. It just requires time, and people should trust him.
“Mykhailo and I talk every day, and in some situations I learn from him and he gives me advice. He’s having new challenges at Chelsea this season, but he is a very talented player with very big ambitions. I think he has a great future.”
Mudryk has scored six goals and provided three assists in 30 games across competitions this season.