Chelsea recall Eden Hazard haunting rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham in lengthy tribute thread
Hazard #Hazard
Chelsea paid tribute to former star Eden Hazard by recalling some of his best moments which saw him haunt rivals Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal.
Hazard announced on Tuesday he is hanging up his boots at the age of 32 following a period hampered by injuries.
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Hazard has retired from footballCredit: GETTY
The former Belgian captain retired from international duty earlier this year and after struggling to recapture his scintillating form of previous years, he admitted his time was up in an emotional Instagram post.
Former teammates including Frank Lampard, John Terry, Vinicius Jr and Marco Asensio have all been quick to express their gratitude to the Belgian.
Chelsea took to X, formally known as Twitter, on Tuesday to share some of their favourite moments from Hazard’s seven years at Stamford Bridge, along with a monologue-style post in honour of their former No.10.
The post read: “In the flesh Eden Hazard was simply wonderful to watch. A world-class footballer who gave us that sense that this was a player who could do pretty much anything with a ball at his feet.
“And when at Eden’s feet, the ball was whatever he wanted it to be.
“His superpower was to move it with such precision, an ability to sneak through the tiniest of gaps, the little hole in the fence that only he could spot. Defenders would catch his eye, pause for breath, before he is gone once more – a shadow they think they saw in the mirror.
“This, you suspect, is why Blues fans would board the District line to Fulham Broadway on a Saturday, and filter into the Bridge through the streets surrounding Fulham Road: for those magical moments, those polaroids of genius, those flashes of perfection in miniature.
“The infamous goal against Arsenal. The solo strike against West Ham. Ending Tottenham’s title hopes. The Europa League final double. Screamers at Anfield not once, but twice.
“These were defining moments, memories that will carry on flickering away on endless replays in the back of our minds forever.
And that is how the Eden Hazard legacy will remain. In our minds, forever. Happy retirement, to one of Chelsea’s greatest ever players.”
The lengthy post, broken down into six parts, was joined by pictures and highlights of Hazard terrorising Chelsea’s bitter rivals Liverpool and Arsenal while making a cheeky reference to his goal that ended Tottenham’s title hopes.
Hazard struck late on in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Tottenham in May 2016, putting an end to Spurs’ title ambitions while handing Leicester City an unlikely Premier League title.
The Foxes have held a soft spot for Hazard ever since and added their well wishes to him writing: “All the best in your retirement, Eden,” alongside a trophy emoji.
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