Eden Hazard will go down in history as one of the best Premier League players in history, but there will also be some thinking what could have been with the Belgian retiring at the age of 32. In today’s game, that is certainly earlier than most considering Karim Benzema won the Ballon d’Or last year at the age of 34.
At Chelsea, Hazard was rarely injured and was at the peak of his powers, but his form and fitness dipped when he moved to Real Madrid in 2019. It should have been the dream partnership with Real in need of a superstar winger having sold Cristiano Ronaldo the year prior.
It wasn’t to be though as Hazard played just 54 league games and scored just four goals in his four years at the Bernabeu. The Belgian star will be fondly remembered by Chelsea fans for his performances at Stamford Bridge.
But Hazard now joins a long list of football stars who had to end their careers early due to different circumstances.
