Eden Hazard believes his Belgian compatriot Kevin de Bruyne is good enough to play in the Chelsea first team despite being rejected by Jose Mourinho last season.

The Chelsea manager decided to sell De Bruyne to Bundesliga club Wolfsburg during the January 2014 transfer window after concluding there was no place for him in the first team at Stamford Bridge.

But De Bruyne, 23, has flourished in Germany, scoring nine goals and contributing 16 assists in the Bundesliga this season, and Hazard has hinted that Mourinho made a misjudgement.

Kevin de Bruyne has been in top form this season, scoring nine goals and creating 16 more for Wolfsburg

De Bruyne's former Chelsea team-mate Eden Hazard believes he was good enough for the Chelsea team

De Bruyne pictured playing for Chelsea in August 2013, a few months before he was sold to Wolfsburg

Speaking ahead of Belgium's Euro 2016 qualifier with Cyprus on Saturday night, Hazard told L'Equipe: 'He is a great player. Mourinho decided to let him go and not play him.

'It was not my decision, even though I know very well that he could play at Chelsea because he has tremendous qualities.

'I think at Chelsea, you have more pressure than Wolfsburg. It's a shame he's gone but he'll have a successful career.'

Jose Mourinho decided that there was no place in the Chelsea team for De Bruyne and sold him last year

De Bruyne arrives for a Belgium training session alongside Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke

De Bruyne has been linked with a summer move away from Wolfsburg with Bayern Munich and Manchester City among those interested.