Chelsea defender Jorel Hato has praised in-form Blues wonder player Estevao Willian following his performance in last night’s win over Ajax.
Chelsea defeated their Champions League opponents 5-1 at Stamford Bridge, with Estevao among the scorers for this young CFC side.
Enzo Maresca made a number of changes from the squad used in the last Premier League match, with Chelsea having three different teenagers on the scoresheet.
However, Estevao really turned heads, with Hato praising him in the post-match mixed zone as a “great player”.
See below. Hato says he has never seen such a good player at his age, except maybe Ramin Yamal…
“He was really good today too,” Hato said of Estevao.
“He’s very young, he’s even younger than me, but he’s a very good player.
“Have you ever seen another teenager like this? Maybe Ramin Yamal, but I can’t tell you any other name.”
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It may be premature to compare Estevao to a proven world-class talent like Yamal, who has already featured in a number of top-level games despite only turning 18 this summer.
The Barcelona and Spain star scored 28 goals in 113 appearances for Barça’s first team, winning La Liga twice and also winning the Copa del Rey.
Yamal has also scored six goals in 23 first-team games for Spain, playing a key role in Spain’s Euro 2024 final victory exactly one year ago.
This player is also the runner-up in this year’s Ballon d’Or, so Estevao still has a long way to go to catch up to him.
Still, there is no doubt that the Brazilian has had a bright start to life at Stamford Bridge, and Hato’s comparisons of him to the likes of Yamal are certainly appreciated.
As time passes, it will become clear whether Estevao is capable of reaching such a level.