Antonio Conte believes Eden Hazard can take his game to the next level if he continues to work hard and improve. The Chelsea manager praised the playmaker's ability and big-game displays, but said the Belgian still has the capacity to get even better.
Hazard put in a strong performance in Chelsea's Champions League round of 16 first leg game against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, as they held the La Liga leaders to a 1-1 draw.
He has produced another good season of football for the 'Blues' so far, scoring 11 times in 23 Premier League games, but manager Conte believes he can step it up another level if he continues to work.
The Italian praised his star player's ability to perform under pressure, backing the attacking midfielder ahead of Chelsea's key clash with top four rivals Manchester United on Sunday. "These types of game are the best for the top players," Conte stated. "Eden is performing well. He’s scoring. He can score more. He can improve."
He made it clear that Hazard had not yet peaked, claiming: "He has the possibility to improve his level, to work very hard with the ball, without the ball, and help his team-mates."
However, Conte also acknowledged that both he and Hazard had a role to play in getting the player to reach his best. "It’s important for the coach to try to speak, to try to improve on the pitch, during the training sessions, to have the conversations for them to reach another level, but it’s very important to be yourself," he explained. "It must be you who has this ambition, this will, to do this."
Conte will be hoping for another big performance from the Belgian at Old Trafford on Sunday, as they look for a win that would put them equal on points with opponents Manchester United, as the race for the top four remains neck and neck.