Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has heaped praise on Chelsea's Eden Hazard, saying the Blues attacker reminds him of Lionel Messi.
The 26-year-old has been in scintillating form for Antonio Conte this season, reinventing himself after a disappointing season last year, and put in a Man of the Match performance during the 3-1 win over Arsenal on Saturday, scoring a brilliant solo goal in the process.
And Martinez, who has workswith the enigmatic forwardfor Belgium says he has come of age and expects several more eye-catching performances.
Eden Hazard's game by numbers vs. Arsenal:
100% take-ons completed
10 take-ons attempted
2 chances created
2 interceptions
1 magical goal pic.twitter.com/9MBKskAIG7
"It's that acceleration and stopping and standing still. He reminds me a lot of Messi. Not many players can control the moment and take the defenders where you want to take them," the former Everton manager said while appearing on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday.
"The way he uses the ball with his feet is sensational and what is surprising more than anything is his maturity.
"I think that Eden, at 26, is almost in the perfect moment of his career and the system that Chelsea plays, which is the same as we play in the national team, has really given him a new breath of life.
Eden Hazard: "It's always good to score beautiful goals against massive teams. We scored three beautiful goals & we deserved to win" #CHEARS pic.twitter.com/vmzNjbtvzL
"Last season, as an opposition Premier League manager you were always aware of Eden Hazard and playing on the left wing it was probably easier to stop him having one v one situations.Now it is a lot harder to get him tied down."
"The good thing about Eden is he is almost a throwback," he added. "He's not one of the new generation of footballers where everything is easy. He is in love with the game. His dad was a footballer and there are four brothers.