Eden Hazard confesses he ‘really liked’ Arsenal growing up, names four ‘great’ players

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Eden Hazard has told On The Front Foot that he admired Premier League outfit Arsenal when he was a child.

The Real Madrid star spent seven years at Chelsea, helping them to a couple of league titles during his time at Stamford Bridge.

He played 352 games for the Blues and became a fan favourite for his frequent displays of brilliance.

As a result, supporters might not be too happy to hear that as a child it was Arsenal who belonged in his heart and not Chelsea.

Hazard also named several former Gunners heroes who he enjoyed watching the most.

He told On the Front Foot: “When I was little the team I watched most was the French national team.

“For me, the players I looked up to were Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.

“It’s difficult to admit because of my relationship with Chelsea, but I really liked the Arsenal team at the time.

“They had players like Robert Pires, (Sylvain) Wiltord and (Patrick) Vieira, so it was mainly French players that I followed growing up.”

TBR View: Hazard comments will intrigue Arsenal fans

These comments will perhaps give Arsenal fans a little wry smile, not least because it’s bound to annoy Chelsea fans.

It’s easy to see why Hazard enjoyed watching the Gunners as a child, with the invincible a special team indeed.

The likes of Henry, Pires, Wiltord and Vieira were part of a special crop of talent and you can hardly blame Hazard.

Since departing Chelsea in 2019, the Belgian has struggled to find his way at Real Madrid.

He has made just 35 appearances, scoring four goals and registering seven assists.

Hazard has struggled desperately with a lack of form and injury problems and it seems clear that Chelsea saw the best of the 30-year-old.

The 106-cap international earns a staggering £416,000-a-week at the Bernabeu.

He is clearly struggling with something in Spain, however, and it remains to be seen if he’ll ever get back to his best.