At the age of 32, Eden Hazard has officially declared his retirement from professional football.
The former Chelsea winger had been unattached to any club since his departure from Real Madrid at the end of his contract earlier this summer. In June, The Athletic reported that Hazard had been contemplating retirement. Throughout his 16-year career, Hazard achieved numerous accolades, including winning the Premier League, Europa League, and La Liga.
The Belgian international achieved a remarkable feat of scoring 110 goals in 352 appearances over a span of seven highly successful years at Chelsea. Subsequently, in 2019, he made a significant move to Madrid, thereby becoming the most expensive signing in the club’s history. Unfortunately, Hazard’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu was marred by various injury setbacks, which hindered his ability to establish himself as a prominent figure within the team and adapt to his new surroundings.
Eden Hazard’s full retirement statement
The player made the announcement via social media, sharing a post in which he explained his reasoning.
“You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time,” his statement on Instagram started.
“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.
