Hazard must score goals like Messi, Ronaldo – Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes believes Eden Hazard needs to improve his goalscoring record if he is to be considered one of the best players in the world.

According to Goal, the Belgium international has been pivotal in Chelsea’s Premier League title challenge this season with 13 goals and eight assists in 32 appearances.

But Scholes has questioned whether Hazard has the “hunger” to keep scoring goals, and says he must become more ruthless if he wants to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the crown of the world’s best.


“One thing I do wonder with Hazard is whether he has that hunger to score goals that you see in Ronaldo, Messi and (Luis) Suarez,” Scholes wrote in The Independent.

“Those are players who have a ferocious appetite to put the ball in the net. They’re unstoppable. Hazard seems to me to be a relatively gentle soul. One who is just as happy skipping past a couple of opponents and putting it on a plate for a teammate.

“He does that very well, and I have no doubt he will deserve his accolade at the PFA awards. Playing the way he does, under pressure to score goals and make them, and is not easy and he has been a big part of Chelsea’s success. But in this modern age, if he wishes to challenge the achievements of Messi and Ronaldo then he will have to prove that he can match their relentless desire to score goals.”