Eden Hazard said Chelsea had ’12th man’ at times because of one person’s striking antics, ‘that’s his personality’

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Eden Hazard worked alongside some fabulous players and coaches during a glorious spell at Chelsea, and he once said that one individual felt like a “12th man” on the football pitch.

Now retired, Eden Hazard is best remembered for seven years as a Blues player. It was during that time that the Belgian attacker cemented himself as a true Chelsea legend for the brilliance he produced over and over again.

Jamie Carragher thinks Chelsea’s Cole Palmer is on Hazard’s level, which is some compliment for the current talent. We’d argue that the 22-year-old Blues attacker still has quite a way to go to reach him, though.

Hazard won six major trophies during his time in Chelsea colours, including two Premier League titles.

• READ MORE: Liverpool star Curtis Jones makes fascinating Eden Hazard vs Mohamed Salah comparison that Chelsea fans will absolutely love

What Eden Hazard once said about Antonio Conte at Chelsea

Hazard played under numerous different managers at Stamford Bridge, including former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.

The Italian coach, who was in the manager’s dugout in West London between 2016-2018, won the Premier League and the FA Cup across his two seasons in charge. According to Hazard, Conte was a significant driving force from the sidelines at Chelsea, describing him as a “12th man”.

Speaking via The Guardian back in November 2016, Hazard commented on Conte: “He kicks every ball, heads every ball. If he could, he’d be out there with us, our 12th man on the pitch. You can see he was a player.

“It’s only now and again, when he’s screaming at you to do this or that, demanding you concentrate or work even harder, you find yourself thinking: ‘Hold on a second, we’re 4-0 up with five minutes to play. Easy now, boss. Calm down …’ But that’s the way he is. That’s his personality. That’s how he works. He expects a lot of us, he’s demanding, and he never stops wanting more from his players. But when you’re in his side winning matches every week, it’s obvious his methods work.”

The perfect way to describe Conte’s management style is intensity.

Even if he doesn’t usually stay at clubs for extended periods, it’s very rare that he’s unsuccessful. The 55-year-old became Napoli boss last summer, and they’re currently top of the Serie A table during his first season in Naples.

Gary Cahill thought Conte was brilliant at Chelsea as he led them to their most recent Premier League title. Now, Italian compatriot Enzo Maresca is coaching the team.

Eden Hazard record under Antonio Conte

It’s interesting to compare Hazard’s record at Chelsea under Conte compared to the other managers he worked under at the London club.

Apart from a fruitful spell under Sarri in the 2018/19 campaign, Hazard probably played his best stuff at Chelsea in Conte’s team.

Conte named Chelsea great Hazard as one of the best he’s coached because of their time together. He admitted that he did push the talented winger more than other players, too.