Belgium national team manager Marc Wilmots has announced that Chelsea’s Eden Hazard will be the captain of the Red Devils in their next two fixtures.

The Red Devils’ first choice captain Vincent Kompany is nursing an injury which has ruled him out for Belgium’s friendly against France, which is scheduled to be played on Sunday and then their European Championship qualifier against Wales scheduled for the following week, meaning that newly-promoted vice-captain Hazard will lead the side out in the two games.




Hazard enjoyed a successful campaign with the Blues this season and helped them end the season with a domestic double of the Premier League title and the League Cup.

The 24-year-old contributed 19 goals and 13 assists to the Pensioners' campaign and won the Premier League Player of the Season award for his efforts.
 


Announcing his decision to promote Hazard in the national team’s leadership hierarchy, Wilmots said that the Chelsea talisman has grown in stature during his time at Stamford Bridge.

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“Earlier I had the trio of Kompany, [Thomas] Vermaelen and [Jan] Vertonghen [for the national team’s captaincy]”, the manager was quoted as saying by Belgian broadcaster RTBF.

“Thomas Vermaelen has had some problems in the last two years.

“Eden himself has changed enormously. It's a choice. He already knew I was not going to wait until the game against France to tell you [aboout his promotion to Belgium’s vice-captaincy]”

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