Chelsea forward Eden Hazard wants Antonio Conte to play him in the number 10 position but insists he will "do the best I can" for the club whatever position he is played in.
Hazard has thrived when playing behind the striker while on international duty, after new manager Roberto Martinez shifted the Belgian infield.
The 25-year-old has scored in both games he has played for Belgium during the international break and believes he could be as effective for his club as well.
"I like to play as a number 10," Hazard said. "I think I have more freedom offensively. For Belgium, we have full backs who run hard and create a lot of space, which is good and I like to play there.
"I don't know if I will play there at Chelsea. You need to ask the manager. I play on the left-hand side and I try to do the best I can."
Hazard has shown glimpses of the form that won him the PFA Player of the Year award in 2014/15, scoring twice in the early stages of the season. His last goal came against Burnley in August.
Like the four managers who coached Hazard at Chelsea before Conte arrived in the summer, the Italian has deployed the skillful winger from the left.
Jose Mourinho, who was sacked by the club for a second time in December, criticized him for failing to track back and defend.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.