Arsenal star Eberechi Eze has admitted he preferred watching Chelsea legend Eden Hazard over Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar while he was growing up.
Eze who has now become an important figure in Arsenal team revealed this deep secret when he joined Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the Best Mode On Podcast.
According to the England international, Hazard’s unique blend of flair, freedom and fearlessness left a deep impression on him.
Eden Hazard with his Hall of Fame Medallion during the Premier League Hall of Fame 2025. (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images for Premier League)
Speaking exclusively to GOAL’s Beast Mode On podcast, Eze said: “Eden Hazard was my favourite player to watch. You had Dinho (Ronaldinho), Neymar (Lionel) Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo… these guys, you know. Eden Hazard, man.”
Asked what elevated Hazard above his contemporaries, Eze added: “Freedom. Freedom. Freedom. He did what he thought was the right thing in that moment. He’s not thinking, he’s just expressing himself. And you can tell he enjoys…he enjoyed being effective as a player, but also his style of playing football. So, yeah, for me, that’s my guy.”
Hazard amassed extraordinary numbers during his seven-year spell in west London and he’s often ranked among the best forward in history.
Across 352 matches, he delivered 110 goals, 92 assists, and a level of creativity unmatched in the league at the time. BBC statistics showed he produced 595 chances, attempted 1,441 dribbles, successfully completed 909, and drew an extraordinary 638 fouls, often leaving opponents grasping at thin air.
