De Bruyne ‘one of the best players of the decade’ says Hazard

Former Belgium captain Eden Hazard understands his compatriot Kevin de Bruyne's decision to leave Manchester City at the end of the season and pursue other things after a decade playing for one of the world's top clubs.

"He will still be one of the best players of the last 10 years at world level. Now, the good thing is that he can choose where he wants to go and enjoy a bit," Hazard told public broadcaster “RTBF”.

The Lille, Chelsea and Real Madrid attacker added: "Spending ten years at one of the biggest clubs in the world brings a lot of good things, he has won a lot, but it also brings a lot of pressure."

"He's going to be 34 and at some point you also want to discover other things. He has every right, he fully deserves it," added his former Belgium team-mate.

De Bruyne has announced that he will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, where he made more than 400 appearances, winning 18 trophies and making his mark on an era.

"When you get to a certain age, you just want to do other things," said Hazard, who has just been named honorary president of RU Tubize-Braine where he started playing football as a child.