On October 10, 2023, Eden Hazard rolled the curtains on his career by announcing his retirement from football at the age of 32. While the last few seasons had not been his best, the Chelsea icon’s retirement was still sad news to many, especially to those who followed the Belgium international’s career.
After all, it was only ten years ago that Hazard was dominating the Premier League at the age of 22. Despite forgettable performances a decade later, Hazard’s game at Chelsea FC, preceded by his time at Lille, will always hold a special place in the hearts of football fans.
On the 4th of June, 2012, the Blues signed Eden Hazard for a sum of £32 million. This deal was an absolute bargain, given clubs like Manchester City had a keen interest in signing the player. However, ‘The Pride of London,’ beat them all, and there began the most beautiful phase of Hazard’s career.
Under the leadership of Roberto Di Matteo in his first season at the club, Hazard already had the world of football talking. Not only did he prove himself to be a great talent, but with time, the 32-year-old became one of the biggest threats in the Premier League.
Why Eden Hazard’s time at Chelsea makes him unforgettable
CFC fans first witnessed Hazard’s real potential when the Belgian international dazzled the DW Stadium on his EPL debut. Having started the game operating behind Fernando Torres, Hazard became the life of the west Londoners’ attack.
110 seconds into the match, Hazard first dished out an assist to Branislav Ivanovic and followed it up by earning a penalty five minutes later to secure a 2-0 win for Chelsea. The 32-year-old’s performance at the time impressed then-boss Roberto Matteo, who said:
"“Eden showed all his quality. He was outstanding, very good, and combined well with his team-mates. He was a threat, which was exactly what we were looking for. He’s got great technical ability, a burst of pace as well to get away from his markers, and he can play with his back to goal. He has a lot of characteristics which he’ll bring to our team.” [H/T The Guardian]"
Di Matteo was right about Hazard. Throughout his debut season in 2012/13, Eden Hazard constantly impressed fans and brought a new ray of hope at Stamford Bridge. That season, the Belgian-born athlete played 62 games for Chelsea in which he scored 13 times and assisted on 24 occasions.
However, what actually makes Eden Hazard so special is that he was never a one-season wonder. While his potential was recognized at Lile, Hazard became a world-class player at CFC. He was a key member of the Blues that won the Premier League(x2), FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Europa Cup in the seven seasons he spent there.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, Eden Hazard’s ability to dribble the ball and get into spaces was unmatched. During the 2014-15 season under Jose Mourinho, Hazard arguably was one of the best players in the world. The accolades he received were a testament to the same.
In 2019, Eden Hazard ended his Chelsea career with 352 appearances, in which he scored 110 goals and laid out 92 assists. These stats were very impressive for an attacking midfielder, and it was this very factor that earned him a big-money move to Real Madrid.
While Hazard’s career at Madrid was cut short due to injuries and some bad personal choices, these factors shouldn’t take away from the player he was in his prime. Not many players could do what Hazard did, and football fans will always be grateful they got to witness Hazard’s prime.