Eden Hazard has tipped Leandro Trossard to take up his mantle and become a leading light for Belgium.
The Arsenal winger has enjoyed a fine season, first with Brighton and now with the Premier League leaders, and his talents have long been recognised on the international stage.
However, he was left out of the starting line-up for Belgium’s first two matches of their ill-fated World Cup campaign.
Hazard, 32, was picked to start ahead of Trossard on both occasions but has explained why he would have been happy to be swapped out for the good of the team.
He told RTBF, via Metro: “We were talking about the name of Leandro Trossard to replace me, he was having a good season.
“Even I wondered why I had to play when he had to go on the bench. It’s normal for people to think that.
“Especially after the game against Egypt, where we don’t play a good game, where I don’t play a good game.
“Cristiano Ronaldo did not play the last matches of the World Cup with Portugal, and yet it is Cristiano with Portugal, it is even more than Eden with Belgium. It is football, there are young people who grow, who want to take the place.”
