Eden Hazard has revealed that he sent a text message to Jose Mourinho apologising for his lack of form shortly after the manager was sacked by Chelsea.
Mourinho, who has had two spells in charge at Stamford Bridge, was shown the exit in December after guiding the team to just four wins from 16 Premier League matches.
Hazard was rewarded with the PFA Player of the Year award for his dominant title-winning displays in the 2014-15 campaign, but this season, the Belgium international has struggled for form.
The playmaker, who was dropped from the first team by Mourinho on occasion in the first half of the campaign, has admitted that he felt "guilty" after his manager's dismissal.
"I sent him the message to say I was sorry he had gone and, well, just that I was sorry," Hazard told The Guardian. "We'd enjoyed all that success together last season, but this time round we hadn't.
"I felt a little bit guilty because I'd been Player of the Year. I'd been one of the most decisive players, and this year I'd performed less well.
"I hadn't been at the same level. So I sent that text to Jose 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."
Since Guus Hiddink was appointed interim boss, Chelsea have gone unbeaten in nine games.
Danielle Joynson
