DEAR EDEN HAZARD…

Dear Eden Hazard,

If you ever stumble across this open letter, know that this Chelsea fan misses you. Call me soppy but I miss you very very much. So much that I added an extra very.

It broke my heart to see you leave my club in the best form of your life.

But it couldn’t have been better, scoring a brace and bagging an assist against our London rivals on the biggest of stages in a European cup final.

It felt bittersweet, seeing you lift the trophy and the Player of the Tournament award, only to see you confirm the suspicions which kept us all uncertain for what really was the inevitable.

The mere thought of you leaving kept me awake at night, scouting the number of players who could replace the “hazardous” displays you left on the pitch. Alright, that was a horrible pun; I apologise.

But Eden, no matter what the current situation is in Spain, believe me, I know the kind of player that you are. You’re the player who’d dance around the pitch, taking on the biggest of the biggest, using your magnetic feet towards scoring from distance.

You’re the kind of player who’d toy with the opposition, in any stadium, at any stage and at any time, like you were having a kickabout in your back garden.

Seeing your tremendous rise from 2012 to your final days in blue has probably been my most enjoyable time as a football fan.

From a young, precocious lad playing under the wings of Lampard and Drogba to carrying Chelsea on your back when the tough times really were tough, never think the fanbase will stop being grateful. 

After all, you’re arguably the most complete forward we’ve had in the last decade, picking out needles in a haystack and scoring goals like it’s nobody’s business.

As unplayable on the left-wing as you were playing behind the striker or being the No.9 at times, every shade of yours would scare me to think where we’d be without your gift.

Managers and their tactics may have come and gone, but watching you was nothing shy of witnessing a genius born to make children, boys, girls, men and women want to become their own Eden Hazards one day.

You never wanted to become a Messi or a Ronaldo and grab the headlines. You were, are and always will be a kid who’s best friends with a football at the core of your heart. And what always baffled me was your selflessness.

I still remember that on your debut, when you had a clear 1v1 with the ‘keeper, putting the ball past him would have meant becoming an instant hero.

But instead, being the team man you were, you were grounded enough to gift Ivanovic an easy tap-in.

Chels, through and through from day dot.

And Eden, ignore the critics. I know it’s been tough in Spain with age and injuries, but you’ve got nothing more to prove to anyone.

Real Madrid know that when you’re ready, they’re another level above the rest. Cameos aren’t worthy of your stature, but you’ve come on to make the difference on countless occasions because you’d probably be able to nutmeg defenders when you’re 80.

Any team is a better team with Eden Hazard and how sublime you were as Belgium skipper at the 2018 World Cup is all the proof anyone needs that you’re unplayable.

I’ll be honest, I’m simply a Belgium fan because you’re Belgian.

The beautiful game sounds like an incomplete phrase without mentioning your name amongst the very best. A joy to watch for anyone who adores the sport and I feel for defenders in the Premier League for the souls you took, week in, week out.

These sudden flashbacks of that unreal hat-trick against Newcastle or that finish in the Battle of the Bridge comes to mind straightaway.

Or that stunning solo goal in the Carabao Cup against Liverpool where my mouth was actually left gaping.

Or the unstoppable run to scramble through 5 Arsenal defenders and score which I still rewatch to this day. Or how effortlessly you made the Villa defenders look like training cones, on your way to scoring one of the goals of the season in your final year as a Blue.

This is how many memories you’ve given us as Chelsea fans. How could I just talk about one when there’s too many to count on both hands?

“£100 million for each leg” is what Jose Mourinho once said but sometimes, I think that the valuation is short of your true worth to the game.

Know this: your legacy will never be forgotten. The club you love is in the safest hands, with the best youth products following in your legendary footsteps.

You’ve been my phone’s wallpaper for the longest time, and my hope is that someday you return in some capacity, even if it may be the last dance. 

You most certainly are, my Prince of Stamford Bridge. 

Love,

A Chelsea Fan.