'Cristiano Ronaldo tipped me to be one of the best - but things didn't go to plan for me'

Eden Hazard was among five players Cristiano Ronaldo backed to replace him at the pinnacle of world football in 2016. The Belgian proved instrumental for Chelsea but struggled to meet expectations during his stint with Real Madrid.

The former Lille winger was highly sought after in 2012 when Chelsea secured his services for £32million from the French outfit and he certainly delivered on his promise. He made an instant impression at Stamford Bridge and by his third campaign there he had clinched the Premier League title.

Hazard's form dipped somewhat following that championship triumph, though he remained an integral figure within Chelsea's ranks. In 2019, he departed for Real Madrid in an eye-watering £130m deal, but significantly underperformed throughout his spell in the Spanish capital.

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Three years earlier, Los Blancos legend Ronaldo had been questioned about a selection of players he believed could step into his shoes as one of football's few elite performers.

He named Hazard amongst five candidates, and whilst the winger was frequently unstoppable in west London, he never quite scaled such peaks.

When pressed for some stars who might succeed him at the summit nine years ago, Ronaldo told BT Sport: "You see many players with potential, I will mention [Martin] Odegaard of Madrid for example. At 16 he's still young but you can see he's a very good player.

"[Eden] Hazard, for example, the No.7 of Manchester United [Memphis] Depay is a good player too. [Also Paul] Pogba and maybe Neymar."

Hazard experienced a minor dip in form during the 2015/16 season, but rebounded impressively as Chelsea clinched the league title the subsequent season. He also lifted the FA Cup trophy in 2018.

However, following Ronaldo's prediction, Hazard failed to meet the lofty expectations set for him. After his high-profile transfer to Real Madrid, a series of injuries limited his appearances to just 76 over four years. Despite being touted by some as Ronaldo's successor, he only managed to score a mere seven goals.

In 2023, both Hazard and Real Madrid mutually agreed to terminate his contract a year ahead of schedule. Following further injury woes, he decided to hang up his boots a few months later.

Despite Ronaldo's predictions, Hazard never quite reached the pinnacle of world football. Upon leaving the Bernabeu, he admitted that he didn't feel at home at the club.

"It [Real Madrid] is a bit of a 'swaggering' club, and I'm not like that. I also didn't like the way we played if you compare it to other clubs," Hazard confessed to L'Equipe. "But, it was my dream. I couldn't finish my career without coming here.

"I would've liked to do things my way and succeed. It shows that Real Madrid is bigger than anything else. It's complicated to play there. Maybe I needed to train more. I also had the worst injuries at the worst times.

"The operation, the plate... I'm coming back, [and] it hurts, I'm sore. In the second season, Ancelotti arrives. I had good preparation, I play well, but my body, the pain, the injuries..."