Hazard, the embodiment of a ‘Perfect Player’
Eden Hazard is the PFA Player of the year. These awards are given on the basis of a player’s performance on the pitch. Statistics are seen and analyzed and then compared with the other nominees and then the voting is done. Based on the above, it is a conclusive answer that Hazard fully deserved the award.
(Still don’t know why Countinho was selected ahead of Fabregas though!)
But it is not only about the assists and the goals which make the Chelsea number 10 so special and one of the complete players in world football.
The world of contemporary football is very cynical. Every player wants to go about his own business, where he wants to score all the goals and go for the gold himself so that he is in the centre of the spotlight. Along with such hunger, comes a massive ego, where they can’t digest the fact if something is said against them or regarding them. They can’t take constructive criticism.
Hazard is one of those rare gems who seems to transcend from such limitations. In his two seasons at Chelsea he has developed himself to be one of the best young players in the world, and is touted to be one of the future greats in football.
His control over the ball, his suave with which he goes past hard English defenders and his classic finishes when he sends the ball home, these are all the characteristics which contemporary football wants in every player.
But what football overlooks nowadays is a player’s attitude with which he conducts himself inside and outside the pitch. Reporters, football experts and analysts pass their judgments by only looking at numbers which according me goes only half the distance, if one has to call a particular player complete and perfect.
“I’m very happy. One day I want to be the best and what I did this season is play very well, Chelsea played very well. I don’t know if I deserve to win but it is good for me.”-Eden Hazard
Hazard’s main asset is his humble attitude with which he treats people around him and with which he conducts himself. He is the most fouled player in the Premier league, but never have I seen him getting in fist fights or even in a heated argument with the opposition players.
He comes on the pitch, gives his heart out for the team and then shakes his hand with the opposition players and the officials and then goes into the tunnel. He doesn’t argue with the official after the match if some wrong decision has been made, or whether he should have gotten a penalty and so on.
Also, the element of greed is not present inside of Hazard. Especially, when we look at the Sterling situation, his stats are nowhere when compared to that of Hazard, but still insisted that he should be getting a raise rather than focusing on his own improvement.
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On the other hand, Hazard being one of the protagonists for Chelsea’s success, never even asked for a better contract when asked by the media about his contract extension. He just talked about staying at Chelsea and being a better player and then went about his own. Chelsea gave him a raise, because they wanted to keep Hazard safe from other clubs who were hovering over the Belgian.
Another aspect of his personality which sets Hazard apart from the others is his capability to take constructive criticism positively. I remember, when Mourinho was presenting Hazard with ‘Chelsea Player of the Year’ award, he said to the Belgian directly that he needs more from him on the pitch, and by more, Jose meant more defensive contributions.
Hazard is not a player who wants to come back and help out defensively. Juan Mata did not contribute defensively, so even after being Chelsea’s Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons, he found himself out of favour with Mourinho. But, Hazard developed his game to a large extent.
He was always a brilliant attacker and he did keep his attacking prowess intact, but he evolved his game by contributing defensively. We did not see Hazard prancing up and down in the left wing when he initially joined Chelsea, but now he regularly helps out Azpilicueta which shows that he takes his criticisms on the chin like a man and is hell bent on improving any minor setbacks.
Mourinho is brilliant in man management. But he has fallen out with certain individuals in his managerial careers where the player’s ego and his clashed in a massive way. Jose is very lucky to have a brilliant talent like Hazard, not only in his new Chelsea side, but a player who can curb his ego and can listen to denunciations and accepts them, and then improves upon them.
Hazard will definitely go a long way to becoming one of the best in the game in terms of stats. But what will make him stand out, is his humility and his attitude which will make him not only one of the best players on the pitch, but also one of the most loved outside it.