Crystal Palace star Jeffrey Schlupp picks Messi and Hazard as best opponents faced

Published on: 27 April 2020

Ghana winger Jeffrey Schlupp has picked Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the favourite opponent he played against, followed by Eden Hazard in the English Premier League. 

The 27-year old once came face to face with the legendary petite Argentine forward in a preseason friendly, and for Hazard several times in the English Premier League.

Schlupp revealed he was amazed by Messi's talent when he played against him.

"We played Barcelona in a pre-season game if that counts - so obviously Lionel Messi. But in the Premier League: Eden Hazard; he’s a special, special player. Until you come up against him you don’t realise: ‘Wow, this guy is special.’," he told Chris Grierson from Palace TV.

Schlupp has been one of the key players for Crystal Palace since joining from Leicester City in 2017.

"It was quite quick. It all happened on the Friday and I had to do it all before midday to be available for the game the next day. I was there from eight in the morning doing all the tests," he said of his arrival at Palace.

"I was actually in London on the Thursday night watching the basketball. I then got the phone call saying I had a medical the next morning so I had to get back to Leicester to get my stuff – I got there at midnight - to then get back to London for the medical. It was quite wild to be honest. I was buzzing the whole time."

By Lukman Abdul Mumin 

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