John Obi Mikel urges fans to be patient with Eden Hazard

24 Jul 2012 17:45:00

The Nigeria international says that his new team-mate could develop into an excellent player for the Blues, but must be given time to acclimatise to his new surroundings

Chelsea's Eden Hazard continues to draw comparisons to the likes of Lionel Messi and Zinedine Zidane, but fellow midfielder John Obi Mikel has urged fans to be patient with the team's new arrival.

The Beligan joined Chelsea in a transfer worth €35 million from Lille, their most expensive signing of the summer so far.

And Mikel has appreciated what he's seen so far from the 21-year-old attacking midfielder but believes Hazard will need time to adjust to the Premier League.

"He's a good player that just needs time to adapt to the English game," the Nigerian told Goal.com. "The English game is always difficult no matter who you are. It always takes time."

Hazard scored in his pre-season debut for Chelsea against the Seattle Sounders in a 4-2 win. Over the past two years, he has had stellar seasons with Lille, tallying 27 goals and 25 assists in 76 appearances.

Mikel believes that the Belgium international will be a great fit at Chelsea once he gets comfortable with the team.

"He's a great player and he's shown some flashes of what he can do. We just have to give him time," Mikel added.

With Roberto Di Matteo taking the reigns at the club permanently, the Nigeria midfielder admits that he will have to adapt to a change in philosophy. Mikel will likely remain as a holding midfielder for Chelsea but he could have more responsibilities if Chelsea adopt a more attacking style.

"I did it last season [adjusting to a new style] and I've been doing it since I've come here. I just keep on doing what I do," Mikel said.