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Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from football after leaving Real Madrid earlier this summer.
The Belgium international took to Instagram to confirm the news, saying: “You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time.
“After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer.
“I was able to realise my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world.
“During my career I was lucky to meet great managers, coaches and teammates – thank you to everyone for these great times, 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.
“Finally, a huge thank you to you, my fans, who have followed me for all these years and for your encouragement everywhere I have played.
“Now is the time to enjoy my loved ones and have new experiences.
“See you off the field soon my friends.”
Hazard started his professional career in France with Ligue 1 side Lille.
He was majestic during his final two years at the club, scoring 34 goals in order to earn a blockbuster move to Chelsea.
Hazard announced in 2012 he’d be joining the Blues, having previously been courted by Manchester United.
And the rest, as the old saying goes, is history.
Hazard spent seven seasons in west London, becoming a club legend at Stamford Bridge in the process.
He won the Premier League twice, under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte in 2015 and 2017 respectively.
Hazard also scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea won the FA Cup by beating United back in 2018.
The Belgian propelled the club to EFL Cup glory in 2015, while also helping Chelsea win the Europa League in 2019 shortly before his departure.
Big things were expected of the player when he moved to Real Madrid four years ago, having been on their radar for a number of years.
However, his time at the Santiago Bernabeu failed to live up to expectations.
Hazard was plagued by injuries during his stint in Spain and restricted to just 76 appearances across all competitions.
The 32-year-old did, though, win silverware.
Hazard won La Liga twice, under Zinedine Zidane in 2020 and Carlo Ancelotti two years later.
And he also celebrated the club’s Champions League triumph last year after Real Madrid beat Liverpool in the final of the competition.
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Eden Hazard became a legend during his time at Chelsea
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Hazard made 126 appearances for Belgium during his career as well.
But, despite the country boasting a ‘golden generation’ of players, the Red Devils failed to win a trophy.
Hazard netted 33 times for Belgium, with his last goal coming in a match against the Czech Republic in September 2021.
Juan Mata, who played alongside the veteran at Chelsea, paid tribute to his friend by saying: |My friend, what a pleasure to play with you… You are one of the best players I’ve played with.
“We had so much fun together. What a player, what a guy. Thank you for everything. All the best in your new chapter, enjoy, you deserve it!”
