Eden Hazard explains why he gave up on plan to join MLS club and retire after miserable spell at Real Madrid

Ahead of the start of the current season, Hazard called it a day on his career after a torrid four-year spell at Real Madrid, where the Belgian struggled with injuries and his overall fitness levels. He has now revealed the options he had available to him after Los Blancos and why he decided to retire at the age of just 32 instead of making the switch.

In an interview with Voo Sport World, Hazard said: "Basically, I said to myself, I’m going to go to America and play two or three years there. MLS isn’t bad. I jokingly told Christian Benteke that I was going to join him in Washington. That way, I play with my guy, I give him a few passes and he scores goals. But it wasn’t just football, we had to move everyone. That’s what slowed me down a little.

"To be honest, I didn't want to play football anymore. If I really wanted to continue, I would have gone somewhere even if I had to move. But I didn't need that anymore. I didn't want to leave just to make money and wonder why I did it two or three weeks later."

Despite his horror spell in Spain, Hazard is still considered one of his generation's best players, especially due to his time with Chelsea in the Premier League as he led them to multiple league titles. He is considered one of the closest players to Lionel Messi stylistically alongside Neymar Jr. thanks to his overall abilities other than just scoring goals.

The Belgian has not revealed what the future holds for him as he is currently just enjoying the time away from the sport. As for now, he will continue with his time away but could certainly return in an off-field role in the future.