Eden Hazard will leave Chelsea with the full respect of players, says Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Ruben Loftus-Cheek believes Eden Hazard will retain the respect of the Chelsea fans – even if the player ends up leaving for Real Madrid this summer.

Hazard confirmed after Chelsea’s Europa League triumph over Arsenal in Baku – a game in which he scored two goals and created another – that he told Chelsea chiefs “two weeks ago” about his desire to join Los Blancos and was now waiting for both clubs to reach an agreement.

Hazard’s compatriot, Thibaut Courtois, made the same move from Chelsea to Real Madrid last summer – although the goalkeeper left in acrimonious circumstances after failing to show up for pre-season training, leaving the Blues with no other option but to sanction a £35million transfer.

But Loftus-Cheek does not believe that Hazard will face a similar backlash from Chelsea fans because of what he has achieved with the Blues during his seven-year spell in England.

“I think he’s admired by not just the Chelsea fans but everyone in football, everyone can see how much of a talented player he is and what he’s done for the club for the past seven years,” Loftus-Cheek told Standard Sport.

“He’s incredibly grateful so if he leaves, I think as a club and as players, we’ll respect his decision and we wish him the best because he’s one of the best players in the world.”