Estevao Willian has made headlines in his first season at Chelsea, despite being just 18 years of age.
Chelsea have found an absolute gem in the form of Estevao Willian. He’s taken to the Premier League and European football like a duck to water.
Micah Richards even believes that Estevao can win the Ballon d’Or one day, which is a big compliment for a player who has only been in England for less than a year.
QUESTION: Who is the best dribbler you have EVER seen at Chelsea?🤔
There are so many players to choose from!
Jamal Musiala on Chelsea star Willian Estevao
Photo by Sebastian Widmann – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
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Six goals and three assists, with three of the goals coming in the Champions League.
And he’s even attracting the attention of Chelsea legend Eden Hazard, who knew a thing or two about scoring goals at Stamford Bridge.
Eden Hazard tells Estevao Willian to enjoy himself at Chelsea
Eden Hazard’s seven years at Chelsea turned him into one of the greatest players in Premier League history. He made 352 appearances and scored 110 goals, helping the club secure two Premier League titles, two Europa League trophies, an FA Cup, and a League Cup.
In terms of individual awards, he was named Chelsea Player of the Year a record four times and earned the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in 2015.
Be honest: If Estevao avoids injuries, is he actually destined to be GREATER than Eden Hazard?
Eden Hazard on Estevao Willian
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Now, it’s the turn of Estevao, and Hazard has some words of advice for him when speaking to The Sun.
“Enjoy playing football, that’s it.”
He also said this separately about Estevao.
“Well, he’s still young, you know. He’s like 17 or 18, so he still has a lot of things to do, but a top-class player.”
What was Eden Hazard doing at 18 years old?
At 18 years old, the comparison between Eden Hazard and Estevao Willian is startling because while Hazard was a prospect in France, Estevao is already producing at a high level.
Eden Hazard was primarily a super-sub, making 30 appearances but starting only 13 times at Lille. He finished his breakout Ligue 1 campaign with four goals and one assist, but he eventually won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award.
In comparison, the Brazilian has already surpassed Hazard’s 18-year-old goal tally.
On the current trajectory, Estevao is arguably ahead of where Hazard was at the same age, with the Belgian failing to reach a double-digit goal tally in a top-five European league until he was 20.
But it will take something special for Estevao to have a similar career to Hazard.
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