‘Not even close’… Eden Hazard says £54m Man City star is easily the best player in the Premier League
Eden Hazard believes Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is the best player in the Premier League bar none.
The retired winger, alongside De Bruyne generated a buzz as the two leading lights of Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ during the early 2010s.
The Belgians had managed to produce two elite talents while also having experienced heads like Vincent Kompany and Jan Vertonghen at their disposal, which prompted many to expect them to win trophies at international tournaments.
Eden Hazard says Kevin De Bruyne is the best player in the Premier League
While Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne did not manage to win silverware for Belgium, the pair did go on to become legends at Chelsea and Manchester City respectively.
The Belgian pair were in the Premier League simultaneously from 2015 to 2019, until Hazard decided to join Real Madrid.
Having trained, played with and against Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard was quizzed about whether he is the best player in the Premier League on his day.
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“Yeah, of course. By far. Not even close”, he said about the £54 million (The Telegraph) man on The Obi One Podcast.
“He sees things that all the players don’t see. That’s it.”
“And the way [Pep] Guardiola gives him the freedom, you know, every time Kevin [De Bruyne] has the ball, he’s free. And that’s why he’s the best because Kevin free is the best player, not even in the Premier League, in the world.”
Kevin De Bruyne has the license to showcase his magic
Eden Hazard raises an interesting point about how the degree of freedom Kevin De Bruyne is provided under Pep Guardiola helps him perform at a world-class standard.
Despite how much discourse there has been about how much Guardiola seems to value his defined tactical structure and footballing principles, De Bruyne never seems to be restricted in way, shape or form.
Every time the 32-year-old gets the ball, he is afforded the license to take a risk in possession, even if there is a possibility that City end up losing the ball.
But perhaps this very freedom is why Kevin De Bruyne feels confident when trying to create something out of nothing.
Being a high-volume creator, risks are a part and parcel of De Bruyne’s game and it seems like Guardiola embraced this aspect of the midfield maestro’s game from day one.
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