Chelsea’s Eden Hazard: ‘This season was an almost season’

'This season was an 'almost' season ... Next season, with this team, I think we can win the Premier League and maybe the Champions League' says Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard.

Eden Hazard scored 14 goals and assisted on seven more in 35 Premier League matches for Chelsea this season. Mike Hewitt / Getty Images
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The following answers from Eden Hazard come courtesy of the official Chelsea magazine.

On Chelsea’s season overall:

Eden Hazard: "This season was an 'almost' season – almost getting to the Champions League final, almost champions in the Premier League. I hope next season it will be better and we can go to the next level.

“I came here for trophies and in my first season we won the Europa League. This season we didn’t win any trophies but we were back in the Champions League, which is the best club competition in the world.

“For a young player like me it is good to play for a club that can get to the semi-finals, because one of the reasons I play football is for these big games. Hopefully next season we can go further, get to the final and win it.”

On the direction he, and Chelsea, are headed in for next season:

Hazard: "Next season, with this team, I think we can win the Premier League and maybe the Champions League. If we win trophies that will make it better because it will be a good season for the whole of Chelsea.

“I know maybe I have to do better in training or on the pitch – I want to score more and help the team score more goals and next season I hope we can be better.”

On Jose Mourinho’s expectations, including his “We want more from you” joking upon receiving the Chelsea Player of the Year award:

Hazard: "It's true and it's good. I prefer it when we speak like this, rather than things like, 'He is the best, he doesn't need to work'."

On winning the Chelsea award, the PFA Young Player of the Year trophy and other individual accomplishments in 2013/14:

Hazard: "We know it's a collective sport, but individually trophies are sometimes good and I'll take this one (Chelsea Player of the Year), I'll bring it to my home and tonight I enjoy this one for me. I'm happy.

“I have to say thank you to my teammates because the training is very important. If I feel good in training, I feel good on the pitch and in the games and that’s what happened this season. The season was better than my first and I hope next season will be better again.

“It was a good season for me but, as the boss says, we finished third and I hope next season we finish first. I always want to score more goals and improve, that is a big objective.

“My aims here are to win trophies to play games, to score goals and to enjoy my time on the pitch. As a player I want to continue working hard and enjoy playing as I have this year.”

On how he sees himself at this point in his career:

Hazard: "I try to play like I did when I was a young boy playing in my garden – sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not so good but I try to always make sure I give my best to help the team, even if I am not having the best game myself.

“I think I’m not complete yet but I have experience. When you are young, you sometimes play one good gamea nd then one bad game. This season I was able to be more consistent which is good for me.

“I am still young and a lot of good players – legends like JT (John Terry), Frank (Lampard) and Drogba – have won this trophy (Chelsea Player of the Year) before me and I give thanks from my heart today, because I have great teammates around me and I play with very good players.”

On his 2013/14 highlights:

Hazard: "Man City away, for me, was the best performance from us as a team. Everybody said we could lose this game, because when we went there (at the beginning of February) Man City were playing very well and nobody had won there but we did very well – the way we played for 90 minutes was fantastic and we were the only team to win there in the league all season.

“I scored a hat-trick against Newcastle here at Stamford Bridge and I hope I can score another one of them next season, two maybe.”

The latest edition of Chelsea magazine goes on sale from 19th May. You can download a digital version of Chelsea magazine to view on your tablet at www.chelseafc.com/mobile.

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