Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has hailed Eden Hazard as a world-class player and stated that he takes good care of himself. The former Chelsea man has been deemed to have put on weight since joining Real Madrid over the summer but Martinez feels there is nothing of that sort and the attacker is approaching the prime of his career.
Speaking in a press conference, he said: “I’m happy to see Eden with the group. He’s smiling. He’s a world-class player, who is unique, talented. He is also very professional and, although he has already won trophies [in his career], he is reaching the highest point of his career. He takes great care of himself and, in my eyes, he’s not fat.”
Hazard could not start the season with Los Blancos due to a calf problem and he had to wait until mid-September to make his debut. Since then, he has not made a great impression on the team’s performances but has managed to please some of the fans after contributing a goal and an assist during the 4-2 triumph over Granada before the international break.
The forward was recently in action for Belgium during the Euro 2020 qualifier against San Marino where they secured a stunning 9-0 victory. The game witnessed a collective performance from the entire squad but Romelu Lukaku grabbed the headlines after scoring a brace and becoming the country’s leading goalscorer of all time.
With the result, Belgium have already qualified for Euro 2020 with three games to spare but there is still work to be done to ensure that they finish at the top of the table ahead of Russia. The Red Devils are scheduled to face Kazakhstan in their next European meeting and it remains to be seen whether Martinez rests some of the regulars.