Hazard admires Zidane, but feels 'very good' at Chelsea

Amid an underwhelming season at Chelsea, Eden Hazard's latest comments will do little to quell speculation that the playmaker is looking to leave the club at season's end.

Hazard, 25, expressed his admiration for newly appointed Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane after the French legend recently praised Chelsea's No. 10.

"It's always nice to hear that a player that I admired during my childhood talks about me," Hazard told reporters.

Hazard's appreciative comments appear harmless on the surface, but have fueled rumours concerning his future in the Premier League.

His 2015-16 campaign has been the polar opposite of last year's PFA Player of the Year-winning season, prompting talk that the Belgian international is looking to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Whether his dismal season is an anomaly or a sign that a change of scenery could again reinvigorate his world-class career, Hazard's ambitions could alter upon hearing Zidane's complimentary remarks.

"He's my favourite player (on the Belgian team)," Zidane told reporters. "He's the one that gives me the most when I see Belgium play."

Zidane continued, offering his thoughts on a mercurial season for the former Lille standout, saying, "He has six months left. It's part of a career - you have to accept that there'll be times when you're not as good."

When confronted about the possibility of one day playing for the World Cup-winning Frenchman, Hazard, who is under contract at Chelsea until June, 2020, was honest in his assessment.

"Yes of course. When I was little, I watched him on television and the Internet for hours," he said. "I talked Zidane and I ate Zidane. But, and I repeat it, I feel very good at Chelsea so it's not news."