Chelsea legend Eden Hazard has revealed the most gifted teammate he’s ever encountered, and surprisingly, it’s someone he never shared the pitch with at the senior level.
During his illustrious seven-year tenure at Chelsea, Hazard clinched two Premier League trophies under the management of Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, solidifying his status as one of the Premier League’s finest forwards.
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The Belgian netted 85 goals across 245 league appearances for the Blues before departing for Real Madrid in the summer of 2019.
However, he struggled to mirror his Stamford Bridge performances, hindered by a series of injuries that restricted his playing time.
Ultimately, last year, at the age of 32, he declared his retirement from football, opting not to pursue another club following his departure from Real.
Hazard recently appeared on the ‘Obi One Podcast’, hosted by former Chelsea teammate John Obi Mikel, to delve into his career and post-football life.
During the discussion, he was posed a question about the most gifted player he had ever shared the pitch with, and his response was immediate.
“I’m gonna give you one name, and John knows the player. “The only one I was saying ‘Wow’, when I stopped playing in the young team in France, was Gael Kakuta.
“You asked me talent. Kakuta, by far, number one. Talent, I mean, talent. Wow.”
“I play against him a lot, because I used to play for Lille and he was playing in Lens.
“It’s a derby, it’s the north of France. So me being me, we used to win every game, every game five, six zero. Me, best player every game.
“And then every time we play against him, we’re losing the game. He’s the best player. He’s the best player. This isn’t normal.
“I think now it’s easy to say, but I think he went a bit too early to Chelsea.”
Kakuta arrived at Chelsea at the age of 16 in 2007, heralded as a future star of the sport.
Despite setbacks such as a double ankle injury, he showcased his talent, earning recognition as the club’s Academy Player of the Year for his impressive goal tally in reserve team matches.
Making his first-team debut in December 2009, the French youth international’s journey was marred by unfulfilled potential. After a brief stint with Chelsea, including loan spells, Kakuta found a permanent home at Vitesse in 2012.
His transfer to Chelsea sparked FIFA scrutiny, initially resulting in an 18-month ban and a hefty fine for the club for allegedly enticing Kakuta to join unlawfully.
However, subsequent investigations revealed the invalidity of Kakuta’s contract with Lens, absolving Chelsea of any wrongdoing.
Since then, Kakuta has plied his trade across Europe’s top leagues, notably in La Liga with Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla, as well as in Ligue 1 with Lens.
Now representing the DR Congo national team, Kakuta played a pivotal role in their journey to the semi-finals of the recent Africa Cup of Nations, although injury sidelined him for the third-place playoff.
