Jermain Defoe has issued his verdict on a former Chelsea player who scored 85 Premier League goals for the Blues.
Defoe is one of the highest scoring players in Premier League history, sitting ninth on the list after finding the back of the net a staggering 163 times for various clubs.
Chelsea legend Frank Lampard takes seventh place with an impressive 177 top-flight goals.
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But it is not Lampard who the ex-England international has dubbed a ‘genius’ recently.
Eden Hazard playing for Chelsea
Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images
Jermain Defoe calls Chelsea icon Eden Hazard a ‘genius’
Instead, Defoe reserved that title for former Blues and Real Madrid winger, Eden Hazard.
The Belgian was recently inducted into the 2025 Premier League Hall of Fame along with Gary Neville.
Hazard won two league titles, scored 85, and assisted 57 during 245 league outings for the West London outfit.
Now, when attending the Premier League Hall of Fame ceremony, Defoe was asked to describe Hazard in just one word.
The former centre-forward simply replied ‘genius’ before sharing an embrace with the man himself.
Is Eden Hazard Chelsea’s greatest player?
Defoe is not the only former player to shower the ex-Chelsea man in appreciation following his spell at Stamford Bridge.
John Obi Mikel said that Hazard is the best player he has played with, while also giving a mention to John Terry.
Meanwhile, Terry went as far as to claim that the winger is Chelsea’s greatest player.
In a message to his old teammate, he said: “It was a joy to play with you, and in my personal opinion, you are Chelsea’s greatest ever player.
“In terms of pure ability and having someone like you in our team, it was a dream come true.”
Chelsea fans will certainly have their own thoughts on who their greatest player is, with the likes of Lampard and Terry in with a great shout.
But there can be no arguing that Hazard was instrumental to their success during the 2010s.