Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sings Eden Hazard’s praises, saying ‘he could be as good as Zinedine Zidane’

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho says star player Eden Hazard can be as good as Zinedine Zidane and perhaps even ‘the talent of his generation’.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 08: Eden Hazard of Chelsea celebrates after scoring his second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on February 8, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

JOSE Mourinho says Eden Hazard can be as good as French legend Zinedine Zidane.

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The Belgian international, who is tipped to sign a long-term deal with Chelsea in the next few days, endured a testy relationship with Mourinho last season after the manager’s personal criticisms of his play went public.

But, according to Mourinho, it was all done for the sake of his development.

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“Can he be another Zinedine Zidane? The first point to compare is the size!” Hazard is a diminutive 5ft 8ins, while Zidane was a solid 6ft 1ins,” said Mourinho.

“To have that ambition is good. I like that.

“I don’t care about shirts and numbers. The players decide, they ask, they change.

“Eden means a lot to us because he’s a fantastic player. We are seeing day by day his motivation to work hard and improve.

“We have big hopes that he will go from the top talent he is at this moment to one of the greats of his generation. His talent will allow that.

“He is a player we want to keep. It’s true Chelsea are trying to have an agreement with him over a new contract, and that he wants to stay. It’s a question of time.”

The 23-year-old signed for a reported $A58 million from Lille in 2012 and has become a key figure in his two years at Stamford Bridge.

“His talent allows him to think about going from a top player to become one of the greats of his generation,” he said.

“We are very proud that he thinks Chelsea is the perfect environment for him to have that evolution.”

Originally published as Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sings Eden Hazard’s praises, saying ‘he could be as good as Zinedine Zidane’