Eden Hazard explains retirement saying 'I didn't have fun on the pitch anymore'

Eden Hazard has explained why he retired in franker terms than his previous statement: he wasn't enjoying playing anymore.

The 32-year-old hung up his boots last week after leaving Real Madrid in the summer.

On Wednesday night, he revived his glory days with a vinage performance in a charity game in Calais, scoring once and setting up three goals.

While he was all smiles for a low-pressure kickabout alongside the great and good of French football history, including Robert Pires and Didier Deschamps, he explained that his heart was now elsewhere.

'I had always said that I would stop as soon as I didn't have fun on the pitch anymore. I didn't want to go and play somewhere for the money,' he told L'Avenir.

'It was the best solution. I didn't enjoy training anymore... And I wasn't playing anymore. The decision was simple.

'In life, you can't explain everything. I am at peace with myself. I'm happy. I have so many things to do outside of football that I was able to make a serene choice.'

He said that playing for a Belgian club would have been a great story, but that there was a lot of 'nonsense' reported during the transfer window.

Hazard also revealed the emotions he feels towards Real Madrid - not all acrimony, as some might think. He said he met 'amazing' people and 'tasted the dream' playing for them.

His legacy will always be complex to unpack. He won five league titles across his career with Lille, Chelsea, and Real Madrid, as well as a Champions League, two Europa Leagues, and numerous domestic trophies.

Individually, he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season during the 2014–15 campaign. His time at Chelsea brought 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 appearances.

But he never took off in the Spanish capital. Across a four-season spell, he suffered 18 separate injuries and scored seven goals in 76 outings, a far cry from his shining productivity in London and Lille.

His fresh explanation for his retirement makes sense. Hazard was at his best when he played with joy and freedom - when that well dried up, football wasn't the same for him.

Wednesday's performance in Calais reminded us of the type of player Hazard was as he strutted his stuff alongside Pires, Deschamps, Yohan Cabaye, Christian Karembeu, and more.