Hazard was near becoming a member of Chelsea’s rivals – however Blues legend modified his thoughts
Eden Hazard has revealed he was near becoming a member of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals earlier than making a sudden U-turn.
The Belgian sensation was European soccer’s most enjoyable expertise when he opted to depart Ligue 1 facet Lille in the summertime of 2012. He had scored 22 targets that season and picked up the home title the yr earlier than, and so all of England’s high golf equipment had been lining as much as signal the midfield expertise.
Hazard introduced his transfer to Chelsea in gripping style, dropping the bombshell information in a tweet because the world awaited his choice. But the Blues legend, who gained two Premier Leagues and two Europa Leagues with the membership, has revealed Stamford Bridge was initially not on his listing of golf equipment to hitch.
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Speaking on former team-mate Jon Obi Mikel’s podcast, Hazard defined: “I had a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson, I spoke with Harry Redknapp, I went to Manchester to see the Manchester City training ground. I had a few options but not Chelsea because the last year I was at Lille, Chelsea was not that good in the league.
“When you [Mikel and Chelsea] won the Champions League, in the league you finished sixth. I knew I was leaving France to go to the Premier League but not Chelsea because I wanted to play Champions League.
“That move came because you won the Champions League,” he added, earlier than Mikel requested if he would have nonetheless joined the Blues had they not been topped European champions.
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(Image: Getty Images)
Hazard hilariously replied: “Ah my friend, Chelsea was like far away. That’s why I say thank you to [Didier] Drogba].”
Even with Chelsea’s Champions League win, work nonetheless wanted to be carried out to get the Belgium captain to select them forward of the entire host of different European golf equipment. Enter Drogba, Chelsea’s hero a month prior, who satisfied Hazard over the cellphone.
Hazard beforehand defined: “Suddenly [Lille team-mate] Gervinho’s cellphone rang within the dressing room. It was Drogba on the road. He insisted that he inform me, ‘I need to talk to him.’ Drogba mentioned to me, ‘You have to come to Chelsea.’
(Image: Getty Images)
“I knew I would easily adapt. London, close to home, not too far from Lille. [Kevin] De Bruyne had played there, Romelu [Lukaku] was around. There were enough French speakers. I knew I would play enough. I was only sad that he, Drogba, decided to leave.”
Hazard made 352 appearances for the west Londoners, scoring 110 targets as he grew to become arguably the Premier League’s greatest participant of his period. He picked up the Premier League Player of the Season award for 2014/15 and Chelsea’s model of the prize on 4 events.
