• Belgian hoping to reach same level as Ronaldo and Messi
• ‘Since I’m at Chelsea, I’ve become more aware of my qualities’

Eden Hazard has acknowledged the rapid progress he has made under José Mourinho this season and has set himself the target of rising to the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have claimed the Ballon d’Or between them in each of the last six years.

The Belgium international is Chelsea’s leading scorer this term, having bought into Mourinho’s philosophy and approach, contributing industry at each end of the pitch. Indeed, his continued excellence, as well as that of Oscar as the team’s designated No10, persuaded the club’s hierarchy that they boasted the cover in attacking midfield to sanction Juan Mata’s £37.1m transfer to Manchester United.

“I realise that I can compete with Messi and Ronaldo in the near future, if I put in some more effort,” said Hazard. “I don’t know if I will ever reach their level. It’ll be hard, they have incredible stats, but I accept the challenge. Of course I want to be the best in the world. Previously I was more worried about the game itself: football was just a game for me, I wanted to amuse myself and didn’t bother what the people thought about me. But since I’m here at Chelsea, I’ve become more aware of my qualities, I guess. Before I knew I was a good player, but not one of the better players in the world.”

Hazard, a £32m signing from Lille in the summer of 2012, had enjoyed periods of fine form over his first season at Stamford Bridge, though Mourinho has coaxed consistency from the 23-year-old. “I’ve matured,” he added in an interview with the Belgian newspaper, Het Laatste Nieuws. “On the pitch, I haven’t changed much. I’m still the same, but I realised that, if I want to be among the best in the world, I’ll have to perform consistently, game in, game out.

“I’m now important for the team, I give good passes, I score more goals and Chelsea is performing well. Everyone expects more from me. I hear it every day. Maybe I need these little comments, too. When a manager always says ‘Eden, you’re doing great’, there is a threat that you can snooze. As a professional, you have to challenge yourself every day. Put yourself in front of a mirror. The manager is close to his players, but when he has something to say, he does to your face, in a friendly way. And he knows how to challenge his players.

“At Lille, in France, I sometimes played on a high level too, but I was more focused on the beauty of the game and how I could entertain the audience. I still try to do that, but I’ve become more efficient now and have become a real team player. I have the image of someone who doesn’t care. But I’ve been playing professional football for five seasons now, I rarely was injured, I follow a strict diet, I sleep well, I rest and I’m always on time. No one can ever accuse me of not living for my job, because I do.”

• Eden Hazard
• Chelsea

Dominic Fifield

theguardian.com