HAZARD: A PLEASURE TO PLAY Posted on: Fri 07 Mar 2014 Having reached the impressive total of 100 Chelsea appearances last weekend,Eden Hazard says he thrives on playing so many games. The Belgian signed for the Blues in the summer of 2012,moving from Lille to London as 1 of the brightest young talents in world football. It didnt take long for the winger to showcase his ability in a Chelsea shirt; within 6mins of his Premier League debut at Wigan he had laid on a glorious assist for Branislav Ivanovic&earneda penalty converted by Frank Lampard. Unsurprisingly,it is that debut which burns brightest in Hazards mind when asked to single out 1 Chelsea highlight,the beginning of,as he puts it, a new situation&a new life for me. Now,just over 18months later,&3-quarters of the way through his 2nd season at Stamford Bridge,the 23yrs-old has reached a century of Chelsea games. As he reflects on that extraordinary achievement,Hazard takes a moment to respond. 100games, he contemplates,before breaking into a smile. Its not bad,is it?! Im in very good condition&I think I perform better when I keep on playing lots of games consecutively. It was the same in France. During my 4yrs at Lille I played a lot of games too. I want to play all the time because being on the pitch gives me enormous pleasure; I know I can make a difference for my teammates&for the fans. The incredible speed with which Hazard has racked up 100 Chelsea appearances is testament to the progress we make in almost every competition we enter. There is also intnl duty to factor in,&a little over 48hrs after returning from Brussels,where our star winger played 28mins of Belgiums draw with Ivory Coast,he is expected to take to the field again for the clash with Spurs in Saturdays late kick-off. Its not important that we dont have much time to prepare, says the man who has been involved - almost always from the start - in every Chelsea game since 6 November. When you train you do recovery work because you need to be fresh for the game. We dont need to do hard training sessions everyday; just recovery work&then also be mentally ready. We know how important the game is for us&for the fans. If we win then we stay at the top&with 9games left after that it is good for our concentration. We want to continue like this. There is pressure for both teams but at home we are very strong&I hope we can keep that going tomorrow&get the 3points. Hazard has now called England home for over 18months. He lives closer to the training ground at Cobham than to the Bridge,an arrangement that clearly suits him&his young family. I dont go in to London everyday - I like staying at home with my family&my kids - but its a great city&I really enjoy it when Im there. Its a nice place to be with my family. Just the weather is not the best but its the same in Lille!. And what of the footballing cultures that define the 2 countries positioned on either side of the Channel?. Its different because in France it was just about football. Now the football is a story in the life of people in England. All the people want to come to the stadium to see the game. Its amazing because it doesnt matter if you win or if you lose,the fans support you&thats a great feeling. I hope to score more goals&I will try to carry on making a difference. Off the pitch,Hazard was last week turned into a Simpsons character after the club announced a new collaboration with the iconic animated TV series. As a long-time fan of the show,he is thrilled with his new companion. When I was young,before going to sleep everyday I would watch the Simpsons&now I have my own face, he laughs. Its great! My Simpson cut-out is in my home&my kids,who also love the show,say Papa,what are you doing there? Its really nice.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 22:16:43 +0000
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