I played against Mohamed Salah and Wayne Rooney, but Chelsea legend Eden Hazard was the toughest I faced
Ryan Bertrand has dubbed Eden Hazard as the toughest opponent he faced on the pitch.
Bertrand recently announced his retirement following a career that saw him win the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup with Chelsea.
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Bertrand faced a wide variety of opponents during his successful careerCredit: GettyThe 34-year-old, who also featured for Southampton and Leicester, came up against some of the best in the business at left-back.
Mohamed Salah, Wayne Rooney and Kevin De Bruyne are just some of the notable stars he faced, but it’s Chelsea legend Hazard who takes top spot.
When speaking exclusively to talkSPORT.com and asked for the toughest opponent of his career, he said. “I’d probably say Hazard.
“Playing against Hazard was probably a tough one because of his low centre of gravity.”
READ MORE ON CHELSEABertrand made 34 appearances alongside Hazard at Chelsea before he left in 2015 and faced him on nine occasions at Southampton.
Hazard became one of the most exciting players to ever wear a Blues shirt during his excellent seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge.
His dribbling, skill and eye for goal proved crucial for the Blues from 2012 to 2019 and helped deliver immense success.
The now retired 33-year-old won two Premier Leagues, two Europa Leagues, the FA Cup and League Cup, amassing 110 goals and 85 assists in 352 matches.
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Bertrand played alongside Hazard at Chelsea before they became opponentsCredit: Getty
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Hazard was on the winning side in seven of their nine meetingsCredit: AFP
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The Belgian departed Chelsea as an all-time club legendCredit: Getty Images – GettyA four-time Chelsea Player of the Year, he was also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on four separate occasions.
After scoring two goals and assisting another in their Europa League final victory over Arsenal in 2019, Hazard left Chelsea.
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He joined Real Madrid in a £130million deal but numerous injury issues meant he was unable to replicate his Blues form over in Spain.
Despite this, he still won two LaLiga titles, the Champions League, the Super Cup, the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
