Why did Eden Hazard retire? The Chelsea legend hung up his boots at just 32, but is set to appear at Soccer Aid
Eden Hazard enjoyed a brilliant career at club and international level before calling it a day at the age of 32.
The Belgian played Lille, Chelsea and real Madrid as well as for his country.
But after 16 years in first team football, decided to retire.
It was a sad end to a career that provided some spectacular moments, but the good news is that he is back to Soccer Aid 2024 Edition at Stamford Bridge.
Why did Eden Hazard retire?
After going out Real Madrid in summer At the beginning of 2023, Hazard was without a club when the summer transfer market in Europe and Saudi Arabia closed.
And without prospects for a team, Danger issued a statement on instagram.
He said: “You must listen to yourself and say enough at the right time.
“After 16 years and more than 700 games played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer.
“I was able to make my dream come true, I played and had fun in many fields around the world.
“During my career, I was lucky to meet great managers, coaches and teammates. Thank you all for these great moments, I will miss you all.
“I also want to thank the clubs I have played for: LOSC, Chelsea and Real Madrid; and thank the RBFA for my Belgian selection.
“A special thank you to my family, my friends, my advisors and the people who have been close to me in good times and bad.”
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Hazard made his Ligue 1 debut for Lille at just 16 years old and enjoyed several brilliant moments during his career.
In total, he made around 750 appearances and was a standout player for both Lille and Chelsea.
Hazard was never injured with Lille and only suffered two problems in his first four seasons with the Blues.
He was always fit and always played.
Even when he left Chelsea in the summer of 2019 to move to Real Madrid, Hazard had not missed any significant time through injury.
But as soon as he arrived in Spain, things changed.
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Hazard spent four seasons with Real, in which he only played 76 games for the Spanish giants.
In total, he missed 85 games through injury over four years, and even when healthy, he was often out of shape.
In his statement, the former striker says that he must listen to himself and by that he probably means his body, which has failed him in recent years.
Given that he was only 32 years old, Hazard should have had many more years at the top of his game, but he was no longer the same player.
However, he still pays out in charity games and will be one of several stars to line up for the Rest of the World XI against England this weekend.
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