‘He will die for you’ – Tottenham and AC Milan transfer target Hakim Ziyech sends message as Chelsea midfielder becomes man of the match in Morocco’s surprise World Cup victory against Belgium

Hakim Ziyech is unlikely to be short of suitors in January after impressing for Morocco at the World Cup.

The winger took a break from his frustrations at Chelsea, where he played just nine times all season, and played for his country in Qatar.

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The 29-year-old looked superb in Morocco’s 2-0 win over Belgium, winning the man of the match award.

He provided an assist and was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet himself.

Ziyech had the ball in the back of the net, only for VAR to deem one of his team-mates was offside and hindering Thibaut Courtois.

Moroccan coach Walid Regragui also spoke lyrically about the midfielder.

He said, “He’s amazing. A lot of people talk about Hakim as a tough guy to deal with, but what I see is that when you give him love and trust he will die for you.

“That’s what I give him and he gives me my trust back.”

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Morocco are now top of Group F and have a strong chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

The longer they stay in the tournament, the better it is likely to be for Chelsea’s forgotten man.

It’s no secret that Ziyech has been holding out and has come close to an exit from Stamford Bridge this summer.

Tottenham and AC Milan are among the clubs reportedly interested in signing him.

He was asked about his future during the tournament and he admitted he wasn’t sure what his future held.

When asked if he will return to the Eredivisie, Ziyech said: “It’s hard to say, hard to say.

“We don’t know what will happen in winter. It’s football, so it’s hard to say.

The fact that he even plays at the World Cup is remarkable as he actually retired from international duty in February after being left out of the Africa Cup of Nations squad.

But with Regragui’s appointment earlier this year, he called off his retirement and now plays for them on the biggest stage of them all.