'He's special' - Eden Hazard gives verdicts on 'top-class' Chelsea duo
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Chelsea icon Eden Hazard has sent a three-word message to young winger Estevao, whom he described as "top class".
Hazard was arguably Chelsea's best player in the 2010s, and his ability to produce magic on the pitch made him a fan favourite since the day he made his debut for the club in August 2012.
The 35-year-old helped Chelsea win several trophies during the seven years he spent at Stamford Bridge, including two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and two Europa Leagues.
Chelsea have understandably been trying to replace the creative sparks he provided since he left the club for Real Madrid back in 2019.
Cole Palmer and Estevao are the two current Chelsea players who have earned comparisons with Hazard, and the club legend is clearly a big fan of the pair.
"He's good; he's special," the former Belgium international told The Sun when asked to give his opinion on Palmer.
While on Estevao, he said: "Whoo... but he's still young, you know. He's what, 17, 18?
"He has a lot of things to do. They're all top-class players."
Asked to give his advice for Estevao, Hazard responded: "Enjoy playing football - that's it."
Eden Hazard is a HUGE fan of Chelsea's new starboy Estevao 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bxgUxnkDBb
— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) January 29, 2026
Similar to Hazard, Palmer is currently the primary creative output at Chelsea, often given the licence to roam in the final third of the pitch to break down opposition defence.
In terms of dribbling prowess, however, Estevao has been the player who gets the fans off their seats with his ability to glide past defenders.
As Hazard pointed out, however, Estevao is still young, and it could prove crucial to his development that he is enjoying his football.
Liam Rosenior has clearly tried to ease the pressure on the Brazil international as much as possible.
"On the pitch, with any 18-year-old, you have to manage his minutes, and manage the games which you think are the right moments for him to have an impact," the Chelsea head coach said about Estevao earlier this week.
"I’ll keep doing that because I want him to have an outstanding season, and I want him to have an outstanding career as well."
Gerry Crisandy is a freelance writer who has covered Chelsea for many years. His work has been published on The Chelsea Chronicle and Pride of London. He grew up idolising Michael Ballack and is a firm believer in expected goals.