UCL: He’s perfect partner for Jorginho, I like his character – Cole, Hoddle hails Chelsea star

Former Chelsea stars, Glenn Hoddle and Joe Cole have praised midfielder, Denis Zakaria after the player’s impressive outing on his first appearance for the west London club.

Zakaria, who joined Chelsea on loan from Juventus in the summer, scored a goal as Graham Potter’s side defeated Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge.

Giving their verdicts on Zakaria’s display, Cole said the Swiss star is the perfect partner for Jorginho in Chelsea’s midfield, while Hoddle said he likes the player’s character.

Speaking on BT Sport after the match, Cole said, “I thought he [Zakaria] was excellent, I thought he got round the pitch, he was the one your eyes went to because it was his first game.

“I think he was the perfect partner for Jorginho. While Jorginho provided a bit of experience in there next to him, he was getting around putting his foot in and to get a goal would’ve been a bonus.”

On his part, Hoddle added, “I liked his character and his demeanour on the pitch, it was his first game for Chelsea and he looked as if he felt at home.”