Eden Hazard: Joe Cole told me to sign for Chelsea

Eden Hazard has revealed that he spoke to Lille team-mate Joe Cole about his former side Chelsea.

The Blues have announced that the Belgian will join the club in July, after they agreed a fee, thought to be around £32million, with the Ligue 1 outfit.

Hazard is confident he will adapt quickly, believing playing in the French league has stood him good stead for a career in the Premier League.

“People tend to talk about the French league as if it’s not of a high standard, but I disagree. I think it’s one of the best leagues in Europe, there are some very strong teams, particularly in defence, it’s always difficult to score goals,” he admits.

“The biggest differences will be in the stadiums and atmospheres, and the fact that overall, players will be technically better.

“I spoke to Joe Cole and what he said above all was that Chelsea was the right club for me. As somebody who loves the club himself, he said he could really see me in the shirt, so when I see him next I’ll tell him he was right.”