Eden Hazard retirement decision serves as poignant reminder to Erling Haaland
You do not have to go too far back to remember when Eden Hazard was the star of the show.
As Erling Haaland was crowned the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year last night, just eight years ago it was former Chelsea star Hazard on the red carpet, gaining all the plaudits and picking up the awards.
Now, incredibly, Hazard is considering up his boots at just 32 years of age.
Manchester City star Haaland has a long term ambition of one day playing in Spain for Real Madrid but the warnings are there if you do not make the right career choices. Ironically, Hazard has the same initials as Haaland and the Belgian’s alarming decline might serve as a timely reminder about how fragile success and fame can be.
It is an incredible downward spiral from a player who has gone from being regarded as the best in the Premier League, who joined Real Madrid for £85m in 2019, to now being a free agent without a club.
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Hazard will be remembered as one of Chelsea’s all time greats, having won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, League Cup and two Europa Leagues. But it was his wizardry on the wing, tantalising and teasing opponents which will be remembered as much as the trophies.
He was the great entertainer and was frequently described as being “unplayable.” His former team mate Juan Mata, a highly respected Spain international, who even went one further by claiming that Hazard was the best he played with or saw in the Premier League.
Mata recalled: ”The best Premier League player… I mean, I used to love to play with, and against, Eden Hazard. For me, for many years, he was the best in the league. He could win games by himself.
Hazard in his pomp for Chelsea back in 2014/15 season"I used to train with him and I know how good he can be. He has been very unlucky in his time with Real Madrid with some injuries, but I’m sure he’ll show his real level when he’s fit to do that and he’s not injured.”
Sky pundit Jamie Carragher event went further, talking about Hazard in September 2018 in the same breath as Diego Maradona and Pele after the Belgium star scored a spectacular goal and was man of the match when Chelsea beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
Carragher said: ”All the greatest players have the power. Think of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Gianfranco Zola and you can even go back to Diego Maradona and Pele. They can't be bullied in football.
“Even though they are great players, you think 'how do you stop them?’ You can't knock them off the ball and Hazard has got that power and strength in the legs and the backside.
"When the ball goes wide it's like the best player in the schoolyard saying 'give me the ball'. He wasn't in a great position to receive it, but then he scored the goal.
"I said on commentary that he is the best player in the Premier League. It's not because he scored that goal, I believe it. I think he should have been named the best player of the World Cup also. He is an absolute superstar.”
The 2014/15 season was undoubtedly his best. He won the PFA award, was crowned the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year and was just unstoppable as Chelsea won the title.
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Hazard played 352 games for Chelsea in his seven years at Stamford Bridge, scored 110 goals and made 92 assists. But contrast that to just six league appearances for Real Madrid last season and only 76 appearances in total with just seven league goals.
Eden Hazard with the PFA Player of the Year trophy in 2015
Erling Haaland won the big prize this year (Peter Byrne/PA Wire)But the cracks soon appeared after he left for Spain. It was former boss Jose Mourinho who, back in 2021, said he predicted that Hazard would retire early because he was “an awful trainer.”
The suspicion was that Hazard did not live well, did not look after himself and he could have been an even bigger talent had he been more dedicated. Would he have suffered less injuries had his fitness levels been higher?
Hazard earned millions, has medals but will surely look back on the last four years and wonder what might have been and where did it go wrong.
There have been offers this summer - both from MLS, Europe and the Saudi Pro League - and they remain on the table. But the fact they have not been taken up suggests that Hazard has fallen out of the game which he used to rule.
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