Chelsea

Antonio Conte: 'Eden Hazard can become as good as Lionel Messi'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 17 July 2016

Antonio Conte claims that Eden Hazard can become the best player in world football at Chelsea if he digs deep and works hard on and off the field.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has urged Eden Hazard to return to his best form and challenge the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world's top player.

The Belgium international endured a disappointing campaign last time out as he struggled to hit the heights set the previous season when winning the PFA Player of the Year accolade.

Conte admits that he does not currently have any world-class stars in his Chelsea squad, but is hoping to see certain players - namely Hazard - step up this coming season and prove their worth among the greatest.

"I think that Chelsea have players who can become top, top, top players," the Daily Mail quotes him as saying. "I think that these players can still improve a lot with work. Because now we have players, fantastic players, who have great talent but in this moment the world doesn't think they are the same level as Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Ronaldo or Paul Pogba.

"But I think that in our squad there are players who, with work, can improve a lot and reach this level. I'm sure about this. It's important the players understand this. There is the ability to work, to prove and to show that, now I am a top player, but I want to become top, top, top player and I want to stay there.

"This is important. The mentality is important. The heart is important, patience and the will to improve is very important and in this case it's important for the manager to take the best players and try to improve them. At Chelsea, along with Hazard there are many players with great talent, Diego Costa, many players."

In 38 games for club and country in all competitions last season, Hazard assisted seven goals and scored eight of his own.