'He is the laziest player ever' - John Obi Mikel describes Eden Hazard

Former Chelsea player, John Obi Mikel says his former teammate, Eden Hazard was the 'laziest footballer he's ever seen' before describing what he like in training.

Speaking to radio show Dubai Eye 103.8, the former Super Eagles captain said Hazard was the laziest player in training, however, he produces one of the best performances on the pitch.

"He was the laziest footballer I've ever seen in my life! But come the weekend he produced. He was the Man of the Match."

Mikel was then asked about Hazard's performance in Spain since his move to Real Madrid.

Hazard penned a five-year deal with Los Blancos in the summer of 2019 for a hefty fee, but he has so far failed to make a real impression at the Bernabeu following a number of injuries and setbacks.

"I actually think, when you look at him now, he's lost a little weight," he said. "But when he was at Chelsea, the night before game, he sat there for like 20 minutes after eating rice pudding. He likes his food. But then he goes to bed, wakes up in the morning and produces at 3pm."

The former Nigeria international continued: "We just let him do whatever he wanted in training. He stood there, when the training started. He plays in one position. He was like, 'Can you pass me the ball?' And we're like, 'No, we're not passing you the ball because we've been running the whole time.'

"And then he goes in, after training, and just mucks about. But come the weekend, he just produced the goods."

35-year-old Mikel announced his retirement from professional football in September last year after enjoying a trophy-laden 11-year spell at Stamford Bridge.

After signing for the club in 2006, Mikel lifted every major honor during his time with the Blues, including two Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Europa League.

He made a total of 372 appearances in a Chelsea shirt, and experienced arguably the most successful spell in the club's history alongside John Terry, Frank Lampard and Eden Hazard.

NBA