Why Callum Hudson-Odoi is perfect Eden Hazard replacement at Chelsea
UNTIL now, I have always refrained from saying that it is possible to replace Eden Hazard at Chelsea.
But the remarkable and rapid recovery of Callum Hudson-Odoi has pushed me to believe that here we might just have a player capable of filling the void of the Belgian magician.
Hazard joined Real Madrid this summer and has left a gaping hole in the Chelsea team.
It is a hole that has been filled by a combination of things – other players stepping up, Frank Lampard’s feel good factor, and goal scoring Tammy Abraham’s and Mason Mount’s.
Hazard is a special type of player, an individual.
So if you are looking for someone to come in and do exactly what he does and play in exactly the same way, then you will be disappointed.
But in terms of replacing him with a player directly, Hudson-Odoi is your guy.
This 18-year old CAN fill the void left by Hazard. He is capable of bringing many of the same assets as the Belgium international.
He is a great finisher long or short range, he can absolutely create goals out of nothing, he will start and finish a move himself, and he is the player who will bring that flair and creativity when the rest of the team is looking flat, just like Hazard used to.
He has recovered from an Achilles injury faster than any doctors predicted.
He hasn’t just casually and quietly come back into the fold – he has absolutely exploded back on to the scene with even more confidence and zest.
He looks like a guy with a point to prove and a guy that is ready to make up for lost time.
This week he scored two absolutely fantastic goals for the England Under 21s and they were simply breathtaking finishes.
The way he gets so much power and precision using the side of his foot with zero back lift really is something.
But what I notice the most about Hudson-Odoi and probably his biggest similarity to Hazard, is the way he stops the ball mid dribble, slows the play down, draws the man in, and then switches his pace to explode past two or three defenders in an instance.
Hazard does that so well, but Hudson-Odoi has also perfected it.
He is still a very young player, so this isn’t me heaping pressure on his shoulders claiming he has replaced Hazard at Chelsea.
This is me saying that he is absolutely capable of replacing Hazard at Chelsea once he has reached his full potential in a year or so.
He has a very strong mentality and work ethic, which goes along with his incredible talent.
To be the best, you cannot have just one or the other, you need both, and he has it.
Hudson-Odoi has a confidence in his own ability that is not arrogance; it’s a rightful belief that he can become one of the best footballers in the world.
It is actually scary how good he can become.