Topics: Eden Hazard, Chelsea, Premier League
Chelsea icon Eden Hazard has named the most talented team-mate he ever had - and it is a player he never played with at senior level.
Hazard enjoyed a seven-year spell at Chelsea, winning two Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte while establishing himself as one of the greatest attackers in Premier League history.
The Belgian scored 85 goals in 245 league games for the Blues before departing to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2019.
But he was never able to replicate the form he showed at Stamford Bridge, with an array of injuries limiting his game time.
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Eventually, last year, he announced his retirement from football at the age of 32, having decided not to join another club following his release from Real.
And Hazard has spoken to the 'Obi One Podcast', hosted by former Blues team-mate John Obi Mikel, to discuss his career and life after football.
The Belgian was asked about the most talented player he had ever played with - and didn't have to think for long about his answer.
"I'm gonna give you one name, and John knows the player.
"The only one I was saying 'Wow', when I stopped playing in the young team in France, was Gael Kakuta.
"You asked me talent. Kakuta, by far, number one. Talent, I mean, talent. Wow."
"I play against him a lot, because I used to play for Lille and he was playing in Lens.
"It's a derby, it's the north of France. So me being me, we used to win every game, every game five, six zero. Me, best player every game.
"And then every time we play against him, we're losing the game. He's the best player. He's the best player. This isn't normal.
"I think now it's easy to say, but I think he went a bit too early to Chelsea."
Kakuta joined Chelsea at the age of 16 in 2007, and was touted as a future star of the game.
He was voted as the club's Academy Player of the Year after scoring 12 goals in 24 games for the reserve team and, despite a double ankle break affecting his progress, the France youth international made his first team debut in December 2009.
But the winger was never able to realise his potential and, after 16 appearances in all competitions over two seasons, had a series of loan moves before joining Vitesse on a permanent deal in 2012.
His transfer to Chelsea was investigated by FIFA, and the Blues were initially handed an 18-month ban and a fine of nearly £800,000 for 'illegally inducing' Kakuta to sign for the club.
However, it was later found that Kakuta's contract with Lens was invalid, and Chelsea were cleared of all charges.
Since then, Kakuta has spent most of his career playing in top five European leagues, most notably in La Liga with Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla, and Ligue 1 with Lens.
Now representing the DR Congo national team, Kakuta helped his side to reach the semi-finals of this year's Africa Cup of Nations, but missed the third place play-off through injury.
