Hazard: I said 'sorry' to Mourinho via text after Chelsea manager's sacking

The 25-year-old, who swept the board in the player of the year awards as Chelsea won the Premier League title last season, failed to replicate his stunning form this time around as Mourinho's men floundered in the early part of the season.

Hazard's limp displays were matched by key players all over the pitch and Mourinho paid the price in early December after being fired by Roman Abrahamovic.

And the midfielder, who has yet to score in the Premier League this season, admits to feeling guilty.

I sent him the message to say I was sorry he had gone and ... well ... just that I was sorry," he told the Guardian. "We'd enjoyed all that success together last season, but this time round we hadn't.

"I hadn't been at the same level. So I sent that text to José and he came back to me, wishing me all the best for the future.

"For a team of champions to go through what we have this year even I can't explain. Things have been better recently, but we're still not winning games quite as we used to. No one can put his finger on what's happened at Chelsea."

This has been a largely forgettable season so far for Chelsea, but at least Hazard seems to be be aware of his own role in the demise of his manager. While Mourinho's conduct became increasingly eccentric the longer the season progressed leading to reports of an unhappy Hazard and a disgruntled dressing room, players ultimately cost managers their jobs. And while Mourinho paid the price for Chelsea's failings, it is the players failing to reproduced last season's high standards who must shoulder the blame as much as the coach. Of course, you can't sack an entire team and the manager is a convenient scapegoat but at least Hazard, a figure Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane apparenly admires, has been man enough to admit that more was expected of him. And he hasn't been up to mark so far this season.