Tony Gale believes Chelsea’s Eden Hazard would be an even better player if he was used centrally.
The Belgian international is a strong favourite to win the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award after scoring 18 goals for the league leaders.
His manager, Jose Mourinho, recently placed Hazard alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the three best players in the world after he got the only goal of the game as the Blues beat Manchester United on Saturday to extend their lead at the Premier League summit to 10 points.
But while Hazard has been a key player for Chelsea in a left-wing position, Gale told The Morning View that the 24-year-old would have even more of an impact if he was used as a No 10.
“I think he’s been excellent,” he said. “He’s had consistency of the highest order and Mourinho has got a good work rate out of him.
“He doesn’t like doing the tracking back but he has been doing it, and I still don’t think he’s in his best position.
“I think his best position will be just behind the striker and maybe if Chelsea play a 4-2-3-1 then he can be that one in behind.
“He’d be even better then but the way Mourinho plays, he wants it to be a little bit tighter and that’s why he plays on the left.”
"I think his best position will be just behind the striker and maybe if Chelsea play a 4-2-3-1 then he can be that one in behind."
Tony Gale on Eden Hazard
Hazard is on the player-of-the-year shortlist alongside club-mate Diego Costa, Harry Kane of Tottenham, Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and Philippe Coutinho of Liverpool.
Stuart Pearce, also speaking on The Morning View, believes another deserving name in that frame is Kane, who took his goal tally to 30 in Spurs’ 3-1 win at Newcastle United on Sunday.
It has been an outstanding season for the 21-year-old and one which has also included a goal on his international debut.
Pearce said: “Harry Kane would be someone to rival him (Hazard) but I think if Harry is the young player of the year and Eden Hazard is the senior player then everyone will be quite happy.”
