EDEN HAZARD 'suddenly looked older’ after leaving Chelsea for Real Madrid.
That’s according to ex-Blues star Gus Poyet, who believes the Belgian’s best days are behind him after an injury-stricken spell at the Bernabeu.
Hazard, 30, has spent a whopping 47 out of 82 games on the treatment table since his £88million switch in 2019, scoring just four goals.
The ace has also been plagued by general fitness and weight issues when fit, hindering performances on the rare occasions he does make it on to the field.
Indeed, the last time Hazard played a full 90 minutes was in November 2019.
And he is set to be absent for Real’s Champions League last-16 first-leg tie against Atalanta tonight.
Hazard’s fall from grace is a far cry from his seven years at Chelsea, where he netted 110 times in 352 games while winning two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues and an FA Cup.
Former Blues star Poyet reckons Hazard looks a shadow of his former self in the Spanish capital.
And he believes the playmaker may have left it too late in his career to succeed at Real.
Poyet told Marca: “It hurts me a lot. The year Cristiano Ronaldo left was the ideal time to replace him, he had had a great season with Chelsea.
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“When Hazard arrived in Madrid, he suddenly looked older. I don’t think the style of play is the problem, neither is the mentality, it’s physically.
“He has paid the price for some physical problems that have not allowed him to return and have meant he has not returned to his best conditions.
“One of my maxims as a coach is to put players on the pitch with minimal or no excuses, and I don’t think Hazard has ever been like that.
“There was always some excuse: he was at 60 per cent, the team was not good…
“It’s not Zidane’s fault, the player is depending on himself to face this great challenge of turning it around.”
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