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Chelsea icon Eden Hazard has confessed that he "misses playing football", two years after hanging up his boots. The Belgian star spent the majority of his career at Chelsea.

He made 352 appearances for the Blues between 2012 and 2019. During this period, he netted 110 goals and set up another 88, and established himself as a key player in a team that won two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues, one FA Cup and one League Cup.

Six years post his departure, Hazard made a nostalgic return to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, donning the blue jersey for the Chelsea legends against Liverpool Legends. All proceeds from the match will go towards the Chelsea FC Foundation and the Chelsea Players' Trust.

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He shared the pitch with fellow Chelsea greats such as John Terry, Diego Costa, and Claude Makelele.

The match concluded in a 1-0 loss for the Chelsea legends, with Ryan Babel's 78th-minute strike being the deciding factor. Despite not scoring, Hazard did display glimpses of his former brilliance, only to be thwarted by the Liverpool keeper.

In true Costa style, the fiery striker was involved in a heated exchange with Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, adding some spice to the 'friendly' encounter.

During the half-time break, Hazard expressed his feelings about retirement in an interview.

"I miss playing football," he admitted. "I miss playing football in the big stadiums like today.

"But I play in the garden with my kids. I have five boys, they are all Chelsea fans."

Hazard's final outing as a Chelsea player before he sealed a £100 million switch to Real Madrid in 2019 was the Europa League final.

He netted twice as the Blues emerged as 4-1 victors over Arsenal. Following his departure from the club, he battled to establish himself at Real Madrid.

Injury problems and fitness concerns meant he managed just 76 outings in four years for Los Blancos before his exit in 2023. The now 34 year old remained clubless for several months before confirming his retirement from football in October 2023.

His influence at Chelsea continues to resonate today, with summer acquisition Alejandro Garnacho revealing that Hazard is the reason he supports Chelsea.

"I loved Eden Hazard. Eden was one of my idols and a big reason why I watched and supported Chelsea a bit when I was younger," he told the club's website. "He was such an incredible player, playing in the same position that I wanted to, coming inside, scoring goals – he was crazy good."

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