LILLE pulled out all of the stops as they welcomed club legend Eden Hazard back as guest of honour last night.
The 33-year-old Belgian retired from football back in October after his epic career ended after years of injury and weight issues.
The ex-playmaker, who won the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup twice as well as a League Cup during his seven years at Chelsea, came through the ranks in France.
Hazard joined Lille’s academy as a teenager in 2005 and went on to make 194 appearances and score 50 goals for the senior team.
His dazzling form also proved instrumental in their league and cup double in 2011 and eventually earned him his move to England in 2012.
Now having hung up his boots, he took the opportunity this weekend to visit his first club for their Ligue 1 home match against Rennes.
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And his old employers rolled out the red carpet in style to honour the icon’s return.
He was firstly honoured at the HQ as Lille got him to unveil one of their training centres that had been renamed after him.
The mercurial winger poked fun at himself during the unveiling and made reference to the fact he was rarely seen in the gym during his playing career.
Hazard said: “I only have one thing to say. This is the Eden Hazard pitch. So no gym, no running. Only playing football and breaking ankles.”
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That was just the start of the fun as Lille announced they would be selling Hazard-themed hamburgers and special edition Eco Cups to celebrate the occasion.
And as some supporters tucked into them prior to kick-off, thousands more in the ground had another treat in store for Hazard as he watched on from the posh seats.
As the Lille and Rennes players emerged from the tunnel ahead of the 2-2 draw, a huge banner showing the icon’s face alongside the Ligue 1 and French Cup trophies he helped them to win was held aloft in one stand.
Meanwhile, another was unfurled with a huge “Merci” written on it to show their gratitude for his efforts over a decade ago.
Hazard enjoyed equal status at Stamford Bridge for his performances at Chelsea but failed to replicate the magic at Real Madrid as his career ended in disappointing fashion.
He joined the LaLiga giants for an initial £88.3million in 2019 but he played just 76 times and scored only seven goals in four seasons.
His time at the Bernabeu was plagued by injuries and fitness issues with reports that his weight was a problem and that he once turned up to training after the summer a stone too heavy.
He recently opened up about those issues, saying: “With Chelsea, I’d just finished one of the best seasons of my career.
“I said to myself, ‘now that I’m at Real Madrid, this is perhaps the last vacation I’ll be able to take.’ I let go of myself like I let go of myself every summer.
“Seven years in England, without a break at Christmas, giving everything, so when I have three or four weeks of vacation, don’t bother me, barbecues, rose wine and all that.
“That’s what allowed me to reset myself to start again. Then, Real, it went wrong and that’s it.
“They say I was a slacker. But I haven’t spent 16 years as a professional without training.
“It’s true that some mornings I arrived without sleeping well, not feeling like it, no desire, and when it’s like that I show it.
“Don’t give me the ball. I’m making a square metre and I’m not moving. I don’t move.”
On his weight, Hazard added: “I wasn’t watching what I ate but I didn’t go for a burger every day either. You can’t do that for 16 years. I didn’t think it was important.
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“I’m a hedonist, I like to eat and drink with my friends. Dieting is bull***t, it doesn’t work.
“If you want to play until you’re 40, then okay, but I knew I wouldn’t be like that. I always have some champagne in my fridge.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
