SIMPLY ED & SHOULDERS
DEFOUR: My pal Hazard’s only got Ronaldo and Messi left to beat... now he must get Real PROBABLE TEAMS TURF MOOR, TODAY KO 1.30PM
BURNLEY v CHELSEA
Burnley’s combative midfielder thinks the player he now rates the best of the rest behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, will find a transfer to the Bernabeu hard to turn down.
Defour (right) has watched his compatriot destroy defences since the pair were youngsters making their way in Belgian football.
And the 30-year-old, set to return for the Clarets at Turf Moor today following a knee problem, thinks that when Real Madrid make a genuine offer then Maurizio Sarri’s star man will go.
Defour said: “Eden’s the best player in the Premier League – he’s just behind Messi and Ronaldo.
“You can’t compare others to them – they score 30 to 40 goals in a normal season.
“It was a very good season for Mo Salah at Liverpool last year.
“Messi and Ronaldo have done that for the past 10. So those two are at the top.
“Right now, Eden is the best of the rest.
“He’s really something special. He doesn’t just break defences, he rips them apart. And you can’t man-mark him. He goes here and there.
“And if you are talking about clubs, then Real Madrid and Barcelona are above the Premier League – although this is the best competition in the world.
“Players want to play with the best. If you’re English, playing for a top club in England might be what you want.
“But since Eden was a little boy he’s dreamed of playing for Real Madrid. “And at some point, if you get that opportunity, you might take it.”
Defour has come through a second career-threatening injury, which dashed his dream of playing for Belgium in the World Cup.
A serious problem with a metatarsal earlier in his career was followed by an issue with his knee in January. Belgium boss Roberto Martinez guaranteed Defour a place in the squad if he stayed injury-free and in form.
But he did not. And returning too quickly would have jeopardised his future. He said: “At the start, the doctor said to me, ‘This is severe’.
“I had three options. The first was exercises for six weeks, knowing that the injury would return.
“The second was cleaning it, getting bits out – but knowing it wouldn’t really have gone away.
“The third was surgery, getting it done properly, knowing it will be good for the next five years.
“I took the last one.”