Eden Hazard: Premier League Legend, Footballing Artist
We find ourselves at a crossroads of nostalgia and admiration as Eden Hazard announces his retirement at the age of 32. A symphony of skill and style, Hazard’s career will forever be etched in the annals of footballing history.
An adoring Chelsea fan and a begrudging Arsenal fan come together to celebrate a Premier League great.
Hazard had retired from Belgium duty in December 2022
At his peak, Hazard was unstoppable.
Thierry Henry once said, “When Eden is on tune, he is very difficult to play against and he is rightly seen as one of the best players in the world.” There were times when only Messi and Ronaldo were competing at a higher level than him.
Though his numbers may not stagger future generations, his resonance with the footballing soul will never be forgotten by those lucky enough to have watched him.
The Belgian’s career ends prematurely after an injury-ridden stint at Real Madrid, but Hazard will still be remembered as a footballing artist.
One of many scything challenges that he would evade
Hazard started his senior career at Lille in 2007, at just 16 years-old. In his first full season at the club he became the first non-French player to win the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award.
The following season he became the first player to win the award twice.
In his final campaign for Lille, he was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year – the youngest to ever win the award. He also got his hands on silverware: a League and Cup double.
The young Belgian was developing into a fantastic player, his direct dribbling style catching the eyes of Europe’s top clubs.
In 2012, Hazard joined a Chelsea side revelling in Champions League glory.
Immediately, he set his sights on bringing further silverware to the blue side of London.
He did just that – two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, one FA cup, and one EFL cup during his seven years in West London. The Footballer of the year award in 2015 acknowledged his instrumental role in these triumphs.
Hazard celebrates his second Premier League trophy
A fierce competitor on-field, it was his uber-relaxed attitude off-field that struck his teammates.
Former teammate Loic Remy explains, “In my first session at Chelsea, he arrived on to the training pitch with his laces undone and welcomed me. I asked him: ‘Are you really going to train like this?’ He said: ‘Yes, no problem’.”
It really was no problem for Eden.
As system becomes supreme in the modern game, players like Hazard become important reminders that football is for the artful. For the kids who never forgot the joy of having the ball at their feet.
In this naivety, Hazard turned every pitch into a garden of Eden. All he needed was a ball at his feet — it didn’t matter where.
Arsenal, Tottenham, and West Ham would learn this the hard way. Hazard’s repeated schoolings taught his most important lesson — being fifty yards from goal is little more than a sign to get going.
