Hazard: Salah is a top player
Chelsea star Eden Hazard has heaped praise on former teammate Mohamed Salah for his impressive performances at Liverpool this season.
Salah has been a standout player for the Reds this campaign, scoring 14 goals in 19 appearances across all competitions, but had to endure a difficult period earlier in his career.
The Egypt international signed for Chelsea in 2014 but never established himself at the club, and instead was loaned out to Fiorentina and AS Roma before signing a permanent deal with the Giallorossi.
Hazard believes Salah was never given a fair chance at Stamford Bridge and is aware that he will need to be watched carefully when Liverpool host Chelsea on Saturday.
"He is still my friend and we are still in contact," Hazard said, according to ESPN. "He's a top, top, top player. He did not get his chance at Chelsea -- maybe because of the manager, because of the other players? I don't know.
"He has quality but in that period I remember we had me, Willian, Oscar, so for him it was not easy. But he's a top player, for sure, and we know as a team the quality he has. He is a fantastic striker and this season he has scored a lot of goals.
"In training he would do everything. Even in the games when he was playing, sometimes he would score goals, so we knew the quality he had. I am just happy for him.
"When you are not playing at a club you need to go. You need a chance and he took his chance at Fiorentina, so he did everything that you have to do when you are not playing. If I was not playing, I'd want to go. That's normal because of all the players want to play.
"I watched him when he played for Roma -- one of my friends from the national team, Radja Nainggolan, is also there -- and he did very well.
"Now he is still at the top. And then even with his country he did well to reach the World Cup. At Liverpool he is still doing well, so I think we need to be careful with him. I want to ask him for his shirt, for sure, on Saturday."
Salah has been a standout player for the Reds this campaign, scoring 14 goals in 19 appearances across all competitions, but had to endure a difficult period earlier in his career.
The Egypt international signed for Chelsea in 2014 but never established himself at the club, and instead was loaned out to Fiorentina and AS Roma before signing a permanent deal with the Giallorossi.
Hazard believes Salah was never given a fair chance at Stamford Bridge and is aware that he will need to be watched carefully when Liverpool host Chelsea on Saturday.
"He is still my friend and we are still in contact," Hazard said, according to ESPN. "He's a top, top, top player. He did not get his chance at Chelsea -- maybe because of the manager, because of the other players? I don't know.
"He has quality but in that period I remember we had me, Willian, Oscar, so for him it was not easy. But he's a top player, for sure, and we know as a team the quality he has. He is a fantastic striker and this season he has scored a lot of goals.
"In training he would do everything. Even in the games when he was playing, sometimes he would score goals, so we knew the quality he had. I am just happy for him.
"When you are not playing at a club you need to go. You need a chance and he took his chance at Fiorentina, so he did everything that you have to do when you are not playing. If I was not playing, I'd want to go. That's normal because of all the players want to play.
"I watched him when he played for Roma -- one of my friends from the national team, Radja Nainggolan, is also there -- and he did very well.
"Now he is still at the top. And then even with his country he did well to reach the World Cup. At Liverpool he is still doing well, so I think we need to be careful with him. I want to ask him for his shirt, for sure, on Saturday."
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