Roy Keane believes Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech looks like ‘a different player’ for Morocco at the World Cup.
Ziyech has struggled to make an impact at Chelsea since his £33.3 million move from Ajax in 2020 and was linked with a switch away from Stamford Bridge in the summer.
The 29-year-old started just two games for Chelsea before the World Cup break but in Qatar the midfielder has been a key figure for Morocco and has helped his nation reach the World Cup quarter final where they will play Portugal on Saturday.
And Keane believes Chelsea supporters have not seen the best of Ziyech, given his performances for Morocco at the World Cup.
‘Morocco have been tenacious, strong, and aggressive this tournament, sitting deep but doing well when they have the ball. They have been brilliant, and I didn’t see it coming,’ Keane told Sky Bet.
‘Hakim Ziyech seems like a different player – it’s a different environment, sometimes players struggle at club level, but the World Cup and international football can suit other personalities better.
‘Ziyech looks like a big personality for Morocco, and you don’t see that at club level for Chelsea.’
Morocco reached the World Cup quarter final after beating Spain on penalties, with Achraf Hakimi bravely going with a Panenka to win the shootout.
But Keane insists he was not a huge fan of Hakimi’s boldness.
‘I don’t think much of Achraf Hakimi’s dinked penalty to win it,’ Keane added.
‘It was easy, because they had two other chances after that – it’s not like that was the decider.’
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