By daily sports on November 19, 2016
Eden Hazard says he would only ever contemplate leaving Chelsea if they are crowned Premier League champions again.
The Belgium international has enjoyed a fine start to 2016-17, scoring seven top-flight goals and being named October's Premier League player of the month.
That comes after a miserable 2015-16 campaign that saw Hazard fail to score in the league before April and his performances criticised as the Blues struggled to a 10th-place finish under Jose Mourinho and latterly Guus Hiddink.
Hazard was again linked with a move away from Chelsea over the summer, but the 25-year-old has stressed that he would never have wanted to leave on such a low note.
"If I ever leave, it'll be after winning a championship," Hazard said to The Guardian.
"You need to go out on a high so that people remember you for the right reasons.
"I'm playing without pain now. Last year was complicated. Some people didn't believe it, but I played with [a hip] injury for a long time.
"I was never 100 per cent and when you are not completely fit it's hard to play at your best.
"But I had a good break after the Euros, a good pre-season, and was ready. Liberated, yes. It feels like that sometimes, being injury-free and if a system brings the best out of you.
"Back in March I'd spoken [to Antonio Conte] about the difficult season I'd had up to then, and what he expected of me in the year to come.
"His passion and enthusiasm for the job were obvious. I made clear I had no intention of leaving after such a poor year. I didn't want to go out like that."
Conte's 3-4-3 system has been credited for Hazard's resurgence and the winger is loving life under the Italian.
He continued: "I'd not scored many goals, but he saw me as a goalscorer. He spoke to me about his preferred systems, the 3-4-3 or even with two up front.
"If someone had told us before the season that, if we did everything Conte asked of us, we'd have a chance to become champions again, we'd all have signed up.
"We have bought into it. This is what he wants from us and believes we need to do to achieve something special.
"The change in system has made an impact. It's such a difficult formation to play against - I played for Belgium against [Conte's] Italy at the Euros and, even though we saw plenty of the ball, it was so hard to break down that defensive block.
"They only conceded once from open play in five matches, and when teams come up against us now they find they don't have many sights of goal, either. Personally, it allows me to concentrate more on the attacking parts of the game, the offensive side."
Chelsea travel to play Middlesbrough on Sunday looking for a sixth consecutive league victory. (goal.com)
•Photo shows Eden Hazard
Source daily sports
Posted November 18, 2016
You may also like...
Osimhen eyes 100th club goal for Napoli
Wolves Edge Southampton To Extend Winless Run
Rohr Volunteers To Help Bordeaux Escape Relegation
Stallions appoint ex-national basketball team coach
Fury postpones Klitschko match
Birthday Wishes To A Patriot Senator Akobundu

UCL: Lookman set for Atletico return against Barca
Organisers brace for National Schools Football tourney
Semi Final Teams Emerge As Coast Clear For Final Ceremony Of 7th U-13 JOF Kids Cup Tournament
Okoye keeps seventh clean sheet in Como draw
Nnadozie relishes FA Cup progress
Akpokona recovering well, doesn’t need assistance – Son
NOC Plans To Mark 2026 Olympic Day On June 27
Onojuvwevwo sets world lead as Ogundiran breaks NAIA record
Ethiopians sweep top spots in Yenagoa 10km race
Remo, 3SC rekindle South West derby in Ikenne
NPFL: Mbaoma chase Obaje, Arumala in Golden Boot race
Chelle keen on Kayode for AFCON 2027
Rangers International going, going . . . (63,687 views)
Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (55,006 views)
Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (52,925 views)
Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (52,528 views)
Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (52,458 views)
Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (52,364 views)
Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (52,221 views)
NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (51,767 views)
Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (50,954 views)
Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (49,462 views)
Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (47,866 views)
John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (47,339 views)