We’re pals, I hope we’ll swap shirts

EDEN HAZARD has been so impressed by his pal Mohamed Salah he will ask for his shirt tomorrow.

Belgium superstar Hazard became close with the Salah during the Egyptian’s brief spell at Chelsea.

But he is planning to turn the heat up on his mate before their Anfield showdown.

“I will speak to him, I want to put pressure on him,” said Hazard with a laugh. “I want him to do well but not a lot because we want to win. I’ll ask him for his shirt, for sure.”

Hazard feels then manager Jose Mourinho did not give Salah a fair chance after his arrival from Basle in January 2014, despite him showing ability galore in training sessions.

“In training he did everything,” said Hazard, “Even in the games when he was playing, sometimes he scored goals.

“So we know the quality he has. He didn’t get the chance, maybe because of the manager, because of the players, I don’t know.

“He has quality but in this period I remember it was me, Willian, Oscar, Juan Mata also, so for him it was not easy.

“But Salah is a top player for sure. I am just happy for him. I was watching him when he played for Roma and he did very well and now he is still at the top.

“Even with his country he did well with the World Cup with Egypt qualifying.

“And at Liverpool he is still doing well so we need to be careful with him.”

Hazard backed Salah’s decision to quit Chelsea, saying he would have done the same in a similar situation.

“When you are not playing in one club you need to go,” he said. “You need a chance and he took his chance at Fiorentina. He did everything that you have to do when you are not playing.

“We are still in contact. At Chelsea we started to talk together and now he is still my friend. We talk about everything – life, football, everything.

“It’s good to have friends in this world because in football you can’t have a lot of friends.”

Just as Salah is going through a purple patch, Hazard feels back in the form that won him the Player of the Year award in 2015.

He has six goals in his last seven outings for Chelsea and said: “I am feeling good, 100 per cent. I’m ready.”