The former captain of the Belgian national team, Eden Hazard, 32 years old, announced today that he is retiring, after having played for Lille, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.

"You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time," he said starting a post via Instagram.

"After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer.

"I was able to realise my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world.

"During my career I was lucky to meet great managers, coaches and teammates - thank you to everyone for these great times, I will miss you all.

"I also want to thank the clubs I have played for: LOSC, Chelsea and Real Madrid; and thank the RBFA for my Belgian Selection.

"A special thank you to my family, my friends, my advisors and the people who have been close to me in good times and bad.

"Finally, a huge thank you to you, my fans, who have followed me for all these years and for your encouragement everywhere I have played".

Eden Hazard joined the youth ranks of French club Lille (2007-2012), where he made his debut at the age of 16 and won the French league title in 2011.

He moved to English club Chelsea (2012-2019), where he also became a key player and earned two league titles and two UEFA Europa League titles, among other trophies.

During this time, he also achieved his best performances with the Belgian national team. With Hazard as captain, Belgium finished third in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, under the leadership of Spanish coach Roberto Martínez.

After conquering French and British football, Hazard fulfilled his dream of joining the Spanish league by signing with Real Madrid in a multi-million euro transfer deal valued at over 100 million euros."