Eden Hazard is one of the most likable footballers in all the world, as he continues to make headlines every day/week with situations that convey his charisma. The latest involves winger Noni Madueke, who named the former Belgium national team captain his all-time favorite Chelsea player.
See below in the tweet that references a story on Chelsea’s official website.
Noni Madueke favourite Chelsea player of the past is Eden Hazard. pic.twitter.com/Uft4Rlji34
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) August 20, 2023
Madueke, 21, was named to the bench today for the London derby at West Ham United. (It’s currently 1-1 at halftime, perhaps he’ll come on in the second half). He went an unused substitute last week in the score draw against Liverpool. As for Hazard, as likable as he is, he’s still really struggling to find a club to play for this season.
He remains a free agent, and thus he does not have to sign before the summer transfer window closes on Sept. 1.
However, the big five leagues in Europe have all started playing, and yet he remains unsigned.
That basically says it all about the market for the 2015 PFA Player of the Year; it’s bearish, not bullish. He’s been linked to a couple clubs in his native Belgium this summer. KVC Westerloo of the Belgian First Division are reportedly interested.
Meanwhile the idea of playing with his brother Kylian, at RWD Molenbeek, who are also in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, was getting some traction in June.
Obviously, it didn’t happen. And even though he’s a 32-year-old former Chelsea player, he isn’t going to Saudi Arabia, which makes him an aberration.
Because every player who left Chelsea who is in his late 20s/early 30s went to the Saudi Pro League. Reportedly, the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS offered him, but the winger said no. Having retired from international football this past December, right after when Belgium were eliminated from the 2022 World Cup, his club football exit could be imminent.
Retirement is a very real possibility now for the 32-year-old accomplished winger. Real Madrid decided to terminate his contract a year early, ending a very ineffective and utterly injury-riddled spell. Jude Bellingham, signed just this summer, is only one goal away from matching Hazard’s total scoring tally at the Spanish capital.
And Hazard was totally fine with that. After all, he literally rated himself a zero for the time he was at the Bernabeu; and apologized to the fans.
How can you not like a guy who says and does things like this?
He’s very at peace and comfortable with himself.
His phone call to his countryman, Chelsea’s newest signing, Belgian sensation Romeo Lavia, is going viral all over the world. Maybe his next gig will be as an agent?
The full version of Eden Hazard and Roméo Lavia’s phone call.
Inject it. ???pic.twitter.com/k59i2gX1co
— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) August 18, 2023
He was also all over the homepages last weekend as well, when he appeared at Stamford Bridge, just as an ordinary fan!
These instances make is clear, “his club” in the metaphorical sense, will always be Chelsea; not Lille or Real Madrid.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.