'Chelsea was far away!' - Eden Hazard admits he wasn't even thinking about joining Blues before 2012 Champions League triumph as he rejected Man Utd & Man City

Hazard emerged as one of Europe's hottest properties at Lille, winning their Player of the Year award two seasons running before electing to leave in the summer of 2012. Chelsea finished that season sixth in the league but would go on to savour FA Cup glory as well as their first-ever Champions League crown. Didier Drogba scored a dramatic late equaliser and the deciding penalty against hosts Bayern Munich in the final, and Chelsea fans can have him to thank for Hazard's signing.

The former winger admitted as much in a recent interview, revealing he'd already made contact with other Premier League rivals over a potential move.

The Belgian told former Blue John-Obi Mikel on his The Obi One Podcast: "I had a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson. I spoke with Harry Redknapp, that time he was the manager [of] Tottenham. I went to Manchester to see the Man City training ground. So I had a few options, but not Chelsea. Because the last year [at] Lille, Chelsea were not good in the league. I knew I was leaving France to go to the Premier League, but not Chelsea because I wanted to play Champions League. That move came because you [Chelsea] won the Champions League."

Pressed by Mikel on whether that transfer would have materialised without the Blues' continental triumph, Hazard replied bluntly: "My friend, Chelsea was far away [laughs]! That's why I say, thank you to Drogba!"

Hazard signed for £32 million ($40.3m) in 2012 and would go on to become a club legend at Stamford Bridge. The Belgian helped the Blues to two Premier League titles, two Europa League trophies, an FA Cup and a League Cup. His impressive haul of 202 goal contributions in 352 matches helped seal a move to European giants Real Madrid in 2019, but injuries led to a dismal end to his club career.

Despite his failings at Madrid, Hazard sensationally claimed in a recent interview that he was better than Cristiano Ronaldo in "pure football" terms, with only Lionel Messi - and possibly Neymar - considered better than him.

The 33-year-old followed up his retirement from international football in December 2022 by hanging up his boots altogether in October 2023. After several candid interviews since retiring from the game, Hazard is likely to pop up again in some capacity in the near future.