James Robson looks at the pros for Eden Hazard by spurning Manchester City in favour of a switch to Manchester United
Eden Hazard finds himself in an almost identical position to Wayne Rooney eight years ago. It was after Euro 2004 that Rooney found himself the hottest property in European football. Every major club in the Premier League and on the continent was queuing up to sign the Everton striker after it became clear he would be leaving Goodison Park. Roman Abramovich would have loved to have added English football’s crown jewel to his Chelsea revolution. History tells us that Rooney could have cleaned up under Jose Mourinho, who won back-to-back titles at Stamford Bridge. Instead the Croxteth lad chose the established – and, rather than short-term gain, invested in the long haul. His reward was four Premier League titles and counting, the Champions League and a further two finals and a place in Old Trafford folklore. He was a whisker away from winning a fifth title last season, but overtook George Best and Dennis Viollet to move up to fourth place in United’s list of all-time leading goal scorers. Even after Chelsea’s Champions League triumph, do you think Rooney regrets the decision he made years ago? Hazard now finds himself having to choose between the new money of City and Chelsea or the established in United. Like Rooney he would be heading to United in the midst of another rebuilding job – but the potential rewards are massive. Ferguson is trying to create his third Champions League-winning team by injecting exciting young players into his squad. He has already beaten back Abramovich’s billions – and is determined not to be drowned out by City’s Abu Dhabi oil.
He has won almost twice as many titles as City and Chelsea combined – and neither of those can compare to his record for developing world class talent. Hazard’s power and trickery bears closer comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo than Rooney – and the Portuguese should be the example to prove that Old Trafford is the right move for him. Under Ferguson, Ronaldo matured from a fitful and impulsive raw talent into the best player on the planet, being crowned world footballer of the year after helping United to the Champions League in 2008. Hazard may have the faith in his own ability to go his own way. To try to help City break into Europe’s elite or become part of the second coming of the Roman army at Chelsea. The alternative option is the Rooney route – and the challenge of proving himself capable of becoming a legend among legends of Old Trafford.
