Eden Hazard exclusive interview: on his Chelsea return, Real Madrid nightmare and coaching ambitions

You could forgive Eden Hazard if he had some bitterness about the disappointing way his career ended — but he is a man at ease.

The Chelsea legend is sitting back in Madrid, where his family still live, relaxed and cracking jokes.

There is no resentment about his retirement in October last year, when he called time on his career aged 32 after a nightmare injury-hit spell at Real Madrid.

Speaking to Standard Sport in his first UK newspaper interview since hanging up his boots, Hazard is open and honest when asked if he could have continued playing.

"Good question," he says. "I think so, but I decided playing football was over because I had a lot of injuries, and I have no regrets."

Hazard reportedly had offers from clubs in Belgium, the United States and Saudi Arabia.

They wanted a piece of one of football's last great entertainers, a genius who slalomed through defences and won a Double at Lille, six major trophies at Chelsea, six at Real Madrid and earned 126 Belgium caps.

"I enjoy it a lot," he says of his retirement. "I miss my football a bit, especially being with the lads in the dressing room, but I can do what I want now. I have kids and a family. I can go to Belgium to see my family, brothers and parents. I can do a lot of things."

Eden Hazard

On June 9, Hazard will return to Stamford Bridge to play again in Soccer Aid for UNICEF's World XI against an England XI managed by Frank Lampard. The full line-ups are yet to be announced, but there is expected to be a strong Chelsea contingent.

Hazard does not miss being a professional footballer, but is excited to get his boots back on. Before retiring, he said it was "time to enjoy life by drinking a few beers".

Hazard often returned for pre-season in poor shape during his career and turned up overweight at Real Madrid. But he looks fit again and dazzled in a star-studded charity match in Qatar last month, which also featured Didier Drogba, Kaka and Roberto Carlos.

As always, Hazard wants to ensure he is worth the admission fee at Soccer Aid and is determined to give fans the version of himself which dazzled in the Premier League.

"I don't want to look like Peppa Pig!" he jokes. "I play tennis, padel, run a bit, I play football with my friends and stay active."

He adds: "It's just a friendly game, but when you play football, you want to win. I saw the team today. It is quite a good team with a few of my former players and good friends, so let's have fun, score goals and make the fans happy."

Making fans happy is what Hazard did best at Chelsea. But he faced criticism in Spain after his £88.5million transfer to Real turned into a nightmare.

Hazard clocked up more injuries than goal involvements during his time in Madrid and in 2020 was voted Real's most disappointing ever signing in a poll by Marca. But he insists he does not regret the move to play under his idol Zinedine Zidane.

"It was my dream," he insists. "I can tell you it was my dream even if the story was not that good with injuries and this and that. When I look back, and you can see some pictures of me wearing the white Real Madrid shirt, it makes me proud."

At Chelsea, of course, Hazard was the main man, winning the Premier League twice and being named PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 2015.

"I spent seven years there… it was the best memory of my football career," he says.

Hazard reminisces about his finest moments for Chelsea shirt, picking his goal at home to Tottenham to give Leicester the title in 2016, his dribble from the halfway line against Arsenal in 2017 and his goals at Anfield as his favourites.

"My best season was the second season with [Jose] Mourinho when we won the Premier League and League Cup," he says.

"The manager was the Special One and it's so hard to explain the feelings after games with the fans all happy."

Management does not appeal to Hazard. He and his wife Natacha are occupied by their five boys, who he is coaching at home to follow in his footsteps.

"I don't know [what's next]," he says. "I don't think I'll coach professionally, but I think I can coach for youth teams. I have kids, and I want to teach them how to play football."

Soccer Aid for UNICEF 2024 takes place on Sunday, June 9, at Stamford Bridge, with tickets available at socceraid.org.uk/tickets