Mourinho: "You are one of the greatest players I have ever worked with"

On Wednesday, Eden Hazard officially took his place among football’s elite, being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. The Belgian star, who spent seven memorable seasons in England—all with Chelsea—won two league titles and was named the 2014/15 Premier League Player of the Season. He now becomes only the sixth player from the club to earn this distinction.

Among those celebrating the achievement was his former manager Jose Mourinho, who coached Hazard during one of his most successful periods. “Everyone knows you belong there,” said The Special One.

Eden is The Man! Hazard becomes new EPL Hall of Famer

“You are one of the greatest players I have ever worked with, and of course you belong there. You are in the Hall of Fame, so now you will remain in our memories.” Mourinho also took a moment to thank Hazard for his immense role in delivering Chelsea’s last Premier League title, when he directly contributed to 24 goals.

Hazard himself was humble and reflective upon receiving the honor: “For a little Belgian from Braine-le-Comte who only plays football for fun, it’s incredible to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame at 34 years old alongside these great players. My dream was to play at the highest level, and I achieved that, so I’m really happy.”

After joining Chelsea from Lille in 2012, Hazard went on to make 245 league appearances, tallying 85 goals and 54 assists. His time under Mourinho, between 2013 and 2015, remains particularly iconic. However, his record-breaking 121 million euros transfer to Real Madrid in 2019 marked a downturn in his fortunes, with injuries severely limiting his impact. He retired from professional football in October 2023, just three months after leaving the Spanish giants.

Make way for another United's icon - Gary Neville inducted in EPL Hall of Fame

Hazard wasn’t the only new name added to the Hall of Fame this week—Manchester United legend Gary Neville also joined the esteemed list, which now features 26 icons of the Premier League era.