Chelsea's young Belgian winger Eden Hazard has the attributes to become one of the world's best footballers, according to teammate Frank Lampard.
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Hazard, who joined the European champions from Lille in June, is in the middle of a purple patch of form and his dynamic raids were a feature of Sunday's 2 0 victory over London rivals West Ham United in the Premier League.
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Lampard stole the spotlight after opening the scoring with his 200th goal for the club but the England international was gushing in his praise of Hazard and compared him to the twinkle-toed Italian Gianfranco Zola, one of Chelsea's greatest players.
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"Eden is 22. He has got the world at his feet and he can handle the pressure because he is that good," the 34-year-old Lampard told the club website.
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"His ability and speed off the mark and the way he is able to turn on a sixpence is what all great attacking players have and he's got it in abundance.
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"Zola did it throughout his career while Eden's at a relatively early part of his career but what he is showing now are glimpses that he can be in that bracket and be one of the top players in the world," said Lampard.
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Hazard started his debut season in the Premier League in dazzling style before suffering a dip in form.
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The quick-silver winger has really come into his own in recent weeks, scoring stunning long-range goals against Manchester United and Sparta Prague.
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Hazard, like Zola, is equally good with left and right foot and he evoked memories of the Italian maestro when he killed off West Ham with the second goal on Sunday.
I honestly do not think that is true. I do not think he is a player that is so fantastic. He still needs to be worked on to be a better player