Craig Burley has slammed Newcastle United and Aston Villa transfer target Eden Hazard as a ‘passenger’ for Belgium at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as he told ESPN.
Even though the Real Madrid winger is the captain of Belgium, former Scotland international Burley feels that doesn’t mean that Roberto Martinez won’t drop him to the bench.
On the domestic scene this season, Hazard has only played 229 minutes, with Carlo Ancelotti leaving him on the bench for plenty of matches.
It hasn’t helped the 31-year-old’s preparation heading to Qatar and it puts him at risk, once again, of being on the bench for Belgium’s opener against Canada on Wednesday.
Despite being such a key figure and the captain of his country, Burley thinks if Hazard doesn’t perform when handed the chance, then he won’t be used at all as the World Cup progresses.
“Before the La Liga season kicked off, we spoke about Hazard at length,” said Burley “And continued to talk about him at length. Everybody was trying to find a way that he was going to come back and sort of rejuvenate his career to even 50% of what it was at Chelsea. Ancelotti was saying the right things.
On what Roberto Martinez does with Hazard at the WC: “Like every other manager, he has a public back in Belgium that will demand big decisions and it depends on how the opening games go.
“Let’s be honest. If he takes any kind of form that he has shown for Real Madrid, when he has been introduced from the bench mainly, if he takes that onto the international stage, then Martinez might have a decision to make to leave him out. It doesn’t matter (if it’s your captain).
“Does Martinez want to get dragged through the streets of Belgium by the Belgian media or does he want to go far in the World Cup? It’s sentimental clap-trap. If he’s not playing well enough, then he can’t play at the World Cup. How many teams have won a World Cup carrying passengers? None. That’s what he is.”
ASTON VILLA AND NEWCASTLE INTEREST IN HAZARD
The January transfer window is around the corner and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hazard heads for the exit door.
It just hasn’t worked out for the former Chelsea star in Madrid, with injuries playing a big part in his career stagnating at an alarming rate.
That hasn’t stopped teams from the Premier League being interested in him, including Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
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