Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has said in the Telegraph that he is not yet good enough to be considered one of the best five players in the world, despite his impressive start to the season.
Hazard and Chelsea have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the new Premier League campaign but the 23-year-old still doesn't see himself in same class as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
"I'm not a top-five player yet," Hazard said. "Maybe I'm close to it, but I still have to work on some aspects. You can only be part of that group if you are decisive in the top games. I start doing that, like I did against Manchester City and Arsenal.
"Who are better than me? The two extra-terrestrials, Ronaldo and Messi, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Franck] Ribery and [Arjen] Robben. They make the difference almost every game."
Despite being an influential figure in the club's title push last season, Hazard attracted criticism from manager Jose Mourinho following Chelsea's Champions League semifinal defeat to Atletico Madrid last May.
Hazard criticised Mourinho's tactics, to which his manager responded by questioning the player's commitment to the team. However, Hazard says that is in the past and the pair enjoy a good relationship.
"Jose Mourinho and I get along well. I've lots of respect for him," Hazard said. "He gives me a lot of confidence. After a bad game he dares to say 'we have played with 10 today', but that's it. At moments like that he leaves me alone."
As a result of his brief squabble with Mourinho, Hazard's Chelsea future came into question last summer when he was constantly linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Hazard, though, says he has no intention of returning to the French league and, while reports indicate he is on the verge of signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge, he admits he would be tempted to leave one day for a "new challenge."
He added: "I've always been clear -- I feel good at Chelsea. Every week I repeat the same on PSG. It's a big team, but an inferior league. I don't want to return to France, because I've won everything over there -- the league title, cup, best player, best young player.
"I don't want to say PSG is a step backwards, but it would be returning to something I already know. I'm always in for new challenges. When I will leave Chelsea one day, it would be to discover something new."