Why Eden Hazard cannot be classed in the same bracket as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi

Eden Hazard was anointed the ‘best player in Europe’ by Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri at the weekend, something Jamie Redknapp is not convinced by.

The former Liverpool and England player was effusive in his praise of the Belgian, admitting he was unlucky not to be awarded the Golden Ball at the World Cup, which was won by Luka Modric.

But he reckons there is one element of Hazard’s game that stops him being classed in the same bracket as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Instead, he classes Hazard alongside PSG star Neymar.

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“If you were choosing a Premier League fantasy team right now, Eden Hazard would be first pick,” Redknapp wrote in the Daily Mail

“He was unlucky not to be named player of the World Cup. Had Belgium gone all the way, I am sure he would have won that award.

“Some of the things he was doing in Russia were out of this world.

“I bracket him with Neymar. What has stopped Hazard from becoming the greatest is that he does not have the same killer instinct in front of goal as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“This was Hazard’s first hat-trick for Chelsea since a 3-0 win over Newcastle in February 2014.

“Ronaldo and Messi have scored them at will throughout their careers.”

He added: “Maurizio Sarri has used him intelligently, first as an impact substitute before restoring him to the starting XI.

“It means that in Hazard’s mind he has had a break after the World Cup and is raring to go.

“The challenge for him now is to have a season like Mo Salah last year and get 40-odd goals.”