Noni Madueke has claimed on The 5th Stand app that he loved watching Eden Hazard play at Chelsea when he was growing up.
The 20-year-old made his debut for the Blues against Fulham last Friday, coming on for the ineffective but ill Mykhailo Mudryk.
His presence instantly brought a buzz around Stamford Bridge, with excitement building every time he got the ball.
This reaction is similar to the one Hazard frequently got in the seven years he spent in West London, where he led Chelsea to glory on the domestic and European front.
Madueke has spoken of his admiration of the Belgian, saying he has watched him in an attempt to learn a thing or two to implement into his own game.
He said: “Growing up, it was all about attractive football for me. Eden Hazard man. What a baller. I loved players like him, that had that something special.
Madueke praises Hazard
“I try to watch top players like Hazard, take bits and bobs off all of them. But at the end of the day, you mould into your own unique person, and I’m Noni Madueke.”
Madueke will be hoping to make his first start for the club when the Blues travel to West Ham on Saturday in the Premier League.
Hazard meanwhile has failed to recapture the fortunes he enjoyed with Chelsea since he left Stamford Bridge in 2019.
The Belgian felt that he couldn’t turn down a move to Real Madrid, and although he has added the illustrious Champions League to his trophy cabinet, playing time and magic moments have decreased tenfold.
His international prospects have not lived up to the hype that they promised either. The embarrassing group stage exit at the World Cup in Qatar actually saw the end of his career for Belgium.
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