Belgian attacking midfielder Eden Hazard announced his retirement on Tuesday after failing to find another club following his release from Real Madrid.
“You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time,” Hazard wrote in an Instagram post. “After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer.”
The 32-year-old Belgian had been without a club since his contract was canceled by Real Madrid this summer.
Hazard emerged as one of Europe’s most gifted young players as a vital member of Lille’s Ligue 1 winning club in 2011.
He was pursued by teams all around Europe before announcing his move to Chelsea, where he was routinely one of their most popular and effective players.
In total, he scored 110 goals in 352 games with the Blues, helping them win the Premier League twice, the UEFA Europa League twice, and the FA Cup and League Cup once.
His form earned him a move to Real Madrid in 2019 for a rumoured sum of €100 million (£86.4 million), although he suffered with injuries after joining and never played more than 18 league games for Real in a single season.
He was also up against Vinicius Jr for his spot, as the Brazilian emerged as a vital player at the Bernabeu.
Hazard and Real Madrid terminated his contract a year early in the summer, and despite being linked with a number of other teams, he has decided to retire.
He won La Liga twice with Real Madrid, as well as the Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, and UEFA Super Cup.