‘Hazard Can Be The Next Messi’- Antonio Conte

Eden Hazard Celebrates His Second Goal of the Season. Image: Chelsea via Getty.

Chelsea’s new boss Antonio Conte believes he can transform star man Eden Hazard into reigning Ballon d’ Or winner Lionel Messi, only if the player buys into his work ethic.

Conte, 46, who lost his first match in charge as Chelsea boss in a pre-season friendly against Rapid Vienna, is eager to transform Hazard,25, back to his initial form which helped the Blues to a well deserved 2015 Premier League title, sandwiched with many individual honors for the Belgium international.

‘Follow me, I can take you to Lionel Messi’s level’- Conte was quoted saying.

“I think Chelsea have players who can become top, top, top players,” said Conte, quoted in several Sunday newspapers. “I think that these players can still improve a lot with work.

“We have players, fantastic players, who have great talent but in this moment the world doesn’t think they are the same level as Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo or Paul Pogba.

“But I think that in our squad there are players who, with work, can improve a lot and reach this level. I’m sure about this. It’s important the players understand this.

“There is the ability to work, to prove and to show that, now I am a top player, but I want to become top, top, top player and I want to stay there.

“This is important. The mentality is important. The heart is important, patience and the will to improve is very important and in this case it’s important for the manager to take the best players and try to improve them.”