Rio Ferdinand believes Eden Hazard must start feeling ‘upset’ every time he fails to score if he is to reach the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Hazard is undoubtedly one of the stand-out players in the Premier League and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for 2017 after helping Chelsea win the title.
The Belgian superstar, who joined Chelsea five years ago, has been nominated for the 2017 Ballon d’Or award but will likely miss out to either Ronaldo or Messi.
Ferdinand insists Hazard is a ‘world-class’ performer but says he must become more selfish to reach the levels of Ronaldo and Messi.
‘I think he is [world-class] – it’s hard to define what that is but he’s in the top echelons of players out there beneath Rolando and Messi.
‘What he needs to do is if they [Chelsea] come off the pitch and they’ve won 1-0 or 2-1 and he hasn’t scored, he needs to be depressed and upset about that.
‘He needs that hunger and desire to elevate himself to the next level.’
Hazard, 26, missed the start of the 2017-18 campaign after undergoing ankle surgery over the summer but scored three goals in as many games prior to Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Roma on Tuesday night.
Chelsea 2017/18 Fixtures
Newcastle (A) - Sun May 13
And, speaking ahead of the trip to Italy, Hazard said he was confident he had put his fitness issues behind him ahead of a viral period for Blues boss Antonio Conte.
‘I’m training hard, the injury is the past. I’m fully ready for the next game, I just want to play,’ he said.
‘A big week is coming, so it was important also for the confidence to stay high, after the game against Watford, to win at Bournemouth.
‘We are full of confidence now, two big games in Champions League and Premier League. And we are ready to play both.’
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