Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has urged new signing Hakim Ziyech not to pay any attention to comparisons being made between him and former Blues favourite Eden Hazard.
Lampard's side struggled to fill the void left by Hazard's move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019, but Ziyech has helped inject some much-needed creativity to Chelsea's side this season, bagging one goal and three assists in his first five Premier League games.
It's led to some fans comparing the two players, with Ziyech already picking up his own cult following after some outstanding displays, but Lampard was keen to avoid making comparisons at such an early stage in his Chelsea career.
"It is very hard to fill one-for-one a player of Eden Hazard's talents," Lampard confessed (via the Daily Mail). "His input at the club was huge. To lose that you have to try to find a way around it with the transfer ban last year, it was more about the younger players coming in and how we could become more efficient as a team.
"I think we made really good steps on that front and now with the players we have brought in I would hate to give any of them the job or idea of 'you must replace Eden'. They have to focus on themselves.
"I remember Eden's first year or two at Chelsea. It was clear what an amazing player he was going to become but he also needed time to become that great player that we all now know and love as Chelsea people."The players we brought in all have potential in their own way to make the pathway to show how much they can give to the club but I certainly won't be throwing Eden Hazard comparisons at them. They have to do it in their own way."
Nevertheless, Lampard did not duck the chance to throw praise at Ziyech, who already sits atop the Blues' assist charts and has the best chances-per-game ratio at the club this season.
"He has made a great impact," Lampard said. "I have been impressed with him in every sense. He has delivered on the pitch and in a short space of time.
"This is one of the reasons I brought him to the club. I thought he could be a real talent and bring something different in his style and the way he plays. So far he has shown that and I expect him to show more."
For more from Tom Gott, follow him on Twitter!
Source : 90min