Did You Know? 5 facts about Chelsea star Eden Hazard
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Shoot! would like to wish Eden Hazard many happy returns as the Chelsea forward celebrates his 27th birthday this evening!
The Belgium international winger could be celebrating at home tonight after being rested for The Blues’ FA Cup third round draw at Championship side Norwich City on Saturday evening.
Hazard, who arrived at Stamford Bridge back in 2012 following his move from Lille, has scored 81 goals in 275 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League club overall, becoming a firm fans’ favourite.
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard celebrates scoring at Arsenal during midweek.
The wideman has won two league titles, the League Cup and the UEFA Europa League with Chelsea.
This season, Hazard has netted nine times and provided eight assists in 27 games for Antonio Conte’s men this term, who sit 16 points adrift of runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City in third spot.
So to celebrate the forward’s latest milestone, here is Shoot!‘s five facts you may not know about Chelsea’s Hazard…
Four-year-old Football Prodigy
Hazard (right) in action against England Under-19 back in October 2007.
Hazard began his career at hometown club Royal Stade Brainois at the age of just four.
He spent eight years at the club, before joining Tubize.
Mother Knows Best
Eden Hazard (right) in action for Lille against Saint Etienne back in January 2012.
His mother, Carine Hazard, was a professional footballer in the Belgian Women’s First Division, and only gave up the sport once she fell pregnant with her first child – Eden.
Twitter Transfer
Hazard officially joined Premier League giants Chelsea from Lille on June 4, 2012.
But, Hazard himself announced the deal on May 28, via Twitter!
The Belgium international posted, “I’m signing for the champion’s league winner,” the week before his reported £32m switch to Stamford Bridge went through.
I’m signing for the champion’s league winner.
— Eden hazard (@hazardeden10) May 28, 2012
Ball Boy Farce
The Chelsea star was once shown a red card for appearing to kick out at a ball boy during Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Swansea City in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg back in January 2013.
He received a three-match suspension for his actions.
Belgian Boy
Hazard made his senior international debut for Belgium in November 2008, aged just 17 years and 316 days old!
The forward replaced Wesley Sonck in the 67th minute during an international friendly against Luxembourg, becoming the eighth youngest international player in Belgian football history.