Jose Mourinho seems to be thinking of future captaincy options.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has tipped Eden Hazard to be a potential captain for the club once John Terry decides to call it a day at Stamford Bridge, according to quotes in the London Evening Standard.
Though Terry is still performing at the highest level having impressed during the Blues’ Premier League title success last season, the fact he is in the autumn years of his career means the club must look to the future, even with Terry saying he wants to play on for two more years according to ESPN.
The Chelsea boss has been talking up the credentials of Hazard whose importance over the past two seasons has been vital to the club – as he picked up the PFA Player of the Year award last season.
Mourinho told the London Evening Standard: “On the pitch he leads. He is not afraid to take responsibility. He is not afraid to get the team in a dark situation and bring blue sky again for the team. He is not afraid of this.
“He is a guy with great discipline. He is not the kind of guy you see setting bad examples and so on.
“So I think he can be a leader. His ambition is coming, he is also the vice-captain of the Belgian national team. He is in his fourth season at Chelsea so he didn’t arrive yesterday.”
Awarding the captaincy to Hazard in the future would certainly place emphasis on his importance to this Chelsea side but he would be an interesting choice – as lots of teams like to opt for either a centre-back or central midfield player.
But as this Chelsea side regenerates, Hazard would perhaps be one of the more experienced members of the side in a couple of years’ time.
It would certainly be an interesting choice if it did happen – and maybe there will be the odd game this season where the Belgian takes over the armband to see if he can do the job well.