Eden Hazard is the laziest player I played with - Mikel Obi

Chelsea legend, John Mikel Obi has labelled Belgian winger, Eden Hazard as the most ‘laziest’ teammate he had in his playing career.

Mikel Obi recounts that Eden Hazard was a different type of player from all the players he shared dressing room with in his time at Chelsea.

He explained that whereas everyone in the Chelsea team will be working their socks off to impress the coaches and stake a claim for first eleven football, Eden Hazard would be idling about on the sidelines.

Mikel Obi reckons Eden Hazard got away with that attitude because he always delivered during matches. He also gave an insight into training sessions at Chelsea during his time, laying emphasis on the competitiveness in the team.

“I never knew how training meant to guys until I joined Chelsea. The way they play games is how they train. There is tackles flying and fights because everybody wants to be in the starting team come the weekend so there is no place for you to say I don’t want to train.

“The only player I saw did that and got away with it was Eden Hazard. He never trained. He is the laziest football I’ve ever seen in my life but come the weekend, he will just get into the squad and win man of the match. He comes in with the trophies and is like guys you see. I think he has lost some weight”, he said.

The 2013 AFCON winner also offered insight into why Eden Hazard’s Real Madrid career has not turned out as expected.

He reckons Hazard’s poor work ethics and nutritional indiscipline might have caught up with him at Madrid.

“At Chelsea the night before games, after dinner he sits there for about twenty minutes and eating rice pudding. He likes his food. He sleeps, wakes up on Saturday, comes to the field and produces the performance. In training he stands at one place and be demanding the ball but we don’t give it to him” he said.

Mikel Obi and Eden Hazard played together at Chelsea and won a number of trophies with West London side.

With Chelsea, Obi won eleven trophies and established himself as fans’ favorite.

Watch the latest sports video on GhanaWeb TV







JNA/KPE