Eden Hazard has admitted his first season at Real Madrid was the worst season in his career individually.
Hazard joined Madrid from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £130m last summer but struggled to impress due to a number of injuries, including a fractured ankle.
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Madrid secured their 34th La Liga title with a 2-1 win against Villareal on Thursday but Hazard, who was limited to 16 appearances and one goal in the league, admits he had a minimal impact.
“We have won the title collectively this year, considering it has certainly been the worst season of my career individually,” Hazard said in an interview with franceinfo.
The Belgian skipper was keen to highlight the contributions of some of his Madrid team-mates.
“Karim Benzema is very friendly and down-to-earth. He’s here to score goals and win matches. I think he’s shown once again this year that he’s quite simply the best,” Hazard said.
“Then you have Raphael Varane. I’ve come across some fantastic defenders during my career, such as John Terry and Vincent Kompany. I think that although [Varane] is still young, he’s already one of the best centre-backs of all time. His partnership with Sergio Ramos is wonderful.
“As for Ferland Mendy, he’s shown he isn’t here just to look pretty. The club signed him because he has qualities which we’ve been able to see. It’s never easy to move clubs when you’re young, and especially to join one like Real Madrid. He’s shown that he represents the future.”
Hazard also had high praise for Real manager Zinedine Zidane, who was instrumental in bringing him to the Bernabeu.
“We all know what Zidane was like as a player; he was the best. There’s no longer any need to describe him as a coach. He’s proven in the space of just a few years that he’s already one of the best,” Hazard said.
“As a coach, he’s just like he was as a player. He’s a humble person who knows how to say the right thing at the right time. He shows confidence in his players and his players have confidence in him. That’s why it works.”
