Keane insists ‘brilliant’ Chelsea legend not in same ‘bracket’ as Henry, Shearer amid ‘overweight’ claim

Roy Keane thinks Eden Hazard was a “brilliant player” for Chelsea but would not mention him in the same breath as the likes of Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.

Hazard announced his retirement from professional football this week, four months after his Real Madrid contract was terminated.

The former Belgium captain didn’t enjoy the best of spells in the Spanish capital after an incredible career at Stamford Bridge.

Hanging up his boots has seen a lot of talk about Hazard’s legacy in the Premier League, with a lot of people comparing him to Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.

Both are iconic wingers in Our League but are very different in the way they play.

Hazard has not only been compared to Salah this week but there has been a big discussion about where he ranks in the list of all-time greats.

Former Manchester United captain Keane insists the 32-year-old was “brilliant” on his day but criticised him for being “overweight” when he signed for Madrid for £105million in 2016.

“Listen, brilliant player at Chelsea but when he turned up in the condition he turned up at Real Madrid… not good,” Keane said on The Overlap. “He’s had injuries, talented boy.

“It’s sad to see because he’s a talented player but it goes to show your talent isn’t enough.

“He didn’t look like he had the full package in terms of his mindset when he went to Real Madrid, you can’t turn up overweight for your first pre-season at the club.

READ MORE: How the biggest Premier League transfer windfalls were spent: Hazard, Coutinho and more…

“It can be difficult to go to any big club but you turn up in the best shape to give yourself the best chance, he didn’t give himself a chance, even if the club was maybe, he was going to the club at a bad time, but you can still turn up in shape.”

Keane adds that Hazard was not on the same level as Premier League greats Henry and Shearer.

“I still wouldn’t put him in, with the players you’ve mentioned, the brilliant players in the Premier League, with [Alan] Shearer, [Thierry] Henry, I still wouldn’t put him in that bracket,” he added.

“I still think if it’s less than three or four years, I think that’s not long enough when you start talking about other amazing players who have done it for eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 years, for two or three years, for me, is still not long enough.”

Jamie Carragher disagreed with Keane, however, claiming that Hazard would be in contention to make an all-time Premier League XI.

“I think he was one of the best players I’ve ever seen in the Premier League. He was one of the best players in a World Cup when Belgium finished third, he won Player of the Year a couple of times,” Carragher said.

“I do think there’s something about Barcelona and Real Madrid, for me, I think they are the two biggest clubs in the world in that the best players in the world always play for those teams.

“And he hasn’t done that last bit what Roy’s talking about where you think of what Ronaldinho did at Barcelona, what [Cristiano] Ronaldo did when he went to Real Madrid, what [Jude] Bellingham looks like he’s doing when he’s gone to Real Madrid. I think you elevate yourself to another level if you produce the goods at those two clubs and he [Hazard] just hasn’t got there.

“I think a lot of that is what Roy said, how can you go to Real Madrid like that? I can’t understand that.

“But in terms of the Premier League I think he’d be close to an all-time Premier League XI, I think he’d definitely be in the discussion, I thought he was brilliant for Chelsea.”

READ MORE: Spurs and Arsenal head the Mood Rankings as Chelsea and Man United edge out of basement