Chelsea coach Antonio Conte says Eden Hazard ranks with very best

EDEN HAZARD

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte believes Eden Hazard is back on the right path to becoming one of the world's best players.

Hazard, who will line up for Chelsea when they entertain Everton on Saturday, has been instrumental in his side's recent run of four successive league victories.

He has scored in three consecutive games for the first time in his career - against Leicester, 

Manchester United and Southampton - to help take his side to within one point of leaders Manchester City.

After being crowned the best player in the Premier League in 2015, Hazard appeared to lose his way last season under former boss Jose Mourinho and had to wait until April 23 to register his first league strike.

"I know the great talent of Eden and he must continue to work and to improve all the time," Conte said.

"In this moment, he is putting his talent and himself in the team. This is fantastic and the right way to become one of the best in the world.

"If you ask me the difference between [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, I don't want to reply. The only thing that I want to do is work with him, and my players, to try to improve and support them."

Last season, Hazard, who was linked with a move to Real Madrid, faced accusations of being unfit, with Guus Hiddink, who replaced Mourinho in December, issuing the Belgian a wake-up call.

"The fitness is important for Eden," Hiddink said at the turn of the year. "He is eager to perform but the physical fitness must be there."

But Hazard has sparkled under Conte this season, and the Italian hinted that the forward has worked on his physical attributes.

"I don't like to speak about last season and a single player," Conte added. "I repeat, I think when you have this type of bad season, many players of the team didn't perform in the right way.

"Now it is another season and I am pleased he performs with the commitment and the work rate for the win that I see during training.

"It is important in this type of modern football that you have the talent and technique, but you must run with intensity and the strength to have the contact. Here in England, we play with an intensity that is supersonic."