Hiddink: Willian's feet are like hands!

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink has heaped praise on attacking midfielder Willian, claiming the Brazilian's control is so good that "his feet are like hands".

Willian has been one constant in an anotherwise inconsistent season for the Blues, though the Stamford Bridge side's fortunes have changed dramatically under the Dutch boss with only one loss, to PSG, since he took charge.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Chelsea's clash with Manchester City, Hiddink reserved special praise for the 27-year-old.

“Willian I’ve known several years and he is gifted," he said. "He is gifted with talent, his feet are like hands! He can do anything with his feet so it is nice to see him play.

“He does whatever you want him to do. Normally a player has the tendency to stick with his talents but what I know - not just here but in other work I’ve done with him - is he is open to work on other things.

“He is taking responsibility to defend his position.”

A big talking point around Chelsea is the club's apparent lack of youth promotion, with the club regarded in some sectors as behind the times.

But Hiddink feels things are taking a turn in the right direction, adding: “Youth is important to Chelsea’s new identity but the last step is the most difficult step.

"It is the step [Bertrand] Traore is making, [Ruben] Loftus-Cheek is making.

“We have to provide the players who are not so close to the first team, we have to see what we can do for them.”