He may be plying his trade on the wrong side of London, but at least Eberechi Eze can acknowledge quality when he sees it.
Eze made the move to Arsenal over the summer, fulfilling his dream by playing for his boyhood club.
He was a top target for Spurs, but opted for the Gunners, and led their North London rivals to sign Chelsea target Xavi Simons.
Maybe Blues fans will thank Eze, though. It looks like Chelsea dodged a bullet in not signing Simons.
Despite his allegiances, Eze can appreciate talent, even when it’s lacing up for a rival.
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard against Porto in the Champions League.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Eberechi Eze says he prefers Eden Hazard to Messi or Neymar
It’s a popular choice for many when listing their favourite player of all time.
Hazard at Chelsea was pure magic. You could argue that his talent hasn’t been matched since he departed for the Spanish capital.
Appearing on the Beast Mode On podcast, Eze was asked for his favourite baller and named the Belgian without hesitation.
He said: “Eden Hazard was just like my favourite player to watch. Had Neymar, Messi all these guys, Ronaldo. Yeah. Eden Hazard, man.”
“What was it about Hazard?”
“Freedom man. Freedom. He did what he thought was the right thing in the moment. He’s not thinking. He’s just expressed himself and you can tell he enjoyed being effective as a player but also his style of playing football. So yeah, for me that’s my guy.”
Eze’s description of Hazard’s playstyle could as easily be used to describe him as a player. He’s as expressive a footballer as we have in the Premier League, though his recent switch of allegiances makes that hard to admit.
But he clearly drew massive inspiration from the Chelsea legend.
Cole Palmer and Eberechi Eze in training for England
Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images
Eberechi Eze rivalling Cole Palmer for England
Eze has been a quality player for a few seasons now, but his move to Arsenal has elevated his standing, and he is now vying for a spot in the England lineup.
Eze and Cole Palmer are competing to start for Thomas Tuchel, as well as a host of other star names.
There’s no denying Eze is a quality player, but he doesn’t get in past Palmer. London rivalry aside, there’s levels.