Eden Hazard: I will never be a true scorer like Ronaldo and Messi

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard insists he will never be able to reach the heights of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of goals, but is striving to be better, as per Sport/Foot Magazine.

The Belgium international has taken the Premier League by storm since moving to Chelsea from Lille and is getting better season by season.

Hazard was a major catalyst in the last campaign as Jose Mourinho’s men got their hands on a fourth Premier League title, with the fleet-footed 24-year-old scoring 14 league goals.

Only Diego Costa bettered that at Stamford Bridge, but many people have urged Hazard to work on the goalscoring side of his game in order to reach the heights of Messi and co.

However, the forward – who signed a new deal last season – admits he doesn’t have the same urge to continously score like the two aforementioned duo.

Hazard said: “I often ask myself what I can do to become like Messi and Ronaldo and score 50 or 60 goals in a season.

“I try of, course, but I realise that I will never be a true scorer. It’s not in me. It is mainly mental – at 2-0, not thinking that is enough, for example. Sometimes I still think, after a goal, ‘that’s enough’.

“I’m not in search of records like some other players… if I can score between 15 and 20 goals each season, I will be very happy.

“I’m at a peak of my career, but I want to become even better every day. I’m not there yet.”

Hazard completed more take-ons (180) than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this season – with Messi (174) the nearest to him.
Hazard has proven his footwork is up there with the best, if not his goalscoring prowess.

Hazard has proven his footwork is up there with the best, if not his goalscoring prowess.

The one category that Hazard is perhaps behind in, compared to Messi and Ronaldo, is the goalscoring department.

Hazard’s 14 goals were 39 and 44 fewer than Messi and Ronaldo respectively – highlighting the sort of battle it would take to catch up with them.

Hazard was crowned PFA Young Player of the Year following the conclusion of the 2013/14 campaign, but the forward managed to get his hands on the big award – the PFA Player of the Year – in May.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, is the current holder of the highest individual accolade in football, the Ballon d’Or. The Manchester United legend scored 48 goals in 35 La Liga appearances last season; the term before that, Ronaldo managed 31 in 30 and 34 in 34 during the 2012/13 campaign.