Chelsea legend Eden Hazard announced his retirement, these football stars paid him tribute

Chelsea former 32-year-old player Eden Hazard announced his retirement from football in the last few hours after being left without a club since he released his contract with Real Madrid in the summer, the last club he played in his career, once he decided to leave Chelsea and the Premier League to join the Spanish club in 2019.

The Belgian player, considered a legend in Chelsea’s history, was quickly hailed by current football superstars and ex Chelsea players as one of the best football players in history, paying tribute to Hazard after he announced his decision to retire from football through a post on his personal Instagram account.

Hazard posted a short statement to express his gratitude for having developed a great football career “After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer. I was able to realize my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world”, he wrote. Responding to his post, former teammate Juan Mata, who played with Hazard in 2014 wrote “Oh how I enjoyed playing with this guy... One of the best.”

Current football superstars hailed the Chelsea legend

In addition, Chelsea legend Frankie Lampard commented “Congratulations @hazardeden10. What talent, and what a career. 'It was a pleasure to play with you, and you are a top man in every way. Good luck with what comes next." Kylian Mbappe posted on his Instagram story: 'Le grand Eden. MERCI,' which translates to: “The great Eden, thank you.”; while the Manchester United player Bruno Fernandes also left a message saying “Thanks for all the good moments you gave to the world of football. All the real fans of this beautiful sport enjoyed watching you.”