Look up Chelsea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Chelsea may refer to:

People[link]

• Chelsea (name)

Places[link]

Australia[link]

• Chelsea, Victoria

Canada[link]

• Chelsea, Quebec

United Kingdom[link]

• Chelsea, London
  • Chelsea tube station, a proposed railway station
  • Metropolitan Borough of Chelsea, a former borough in London
  • Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, a borough in London
  • Chelsea and Fulham, a constituency at Westminster

United States[link]

• Chelsea, Alabama
• Chelsea, Maine
• Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City
• Chelsea, Massachusetts
  • Chelsea (MBTA station)
• Chelsea, Michigan
• Chelsea, Oklahoma
• Chelsea, South Dakota
• Chelsea, Vermont
• Chelsea Township (disambiguation)

Organizations[link]

• Chelsea Building Society, a UK building society
• Chelsea College of Art and Design, an art and design college in London, England
• Chelsea Food Services, an airline catering company
• Chelsea Piers, a sports and entertainment complex in New York City, United States
• Chelsea porcelain factory, a factory that was in London, England
• Chelsea Sugar Refinery, a factory in Birkenhead, New Zealand
• Hotel Chelsea, a hotel in New York City, United States
• Royal Hospital Chelsea, home for former soldiers in London, England
  • Chelsea pensioner, an occupant of Royal Hospital Chelsea

Culture[link]

Events[link]

• Chelsea Flower Show, annual event organised by the Royal Horticultural Society at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London, UK

Film and television[link]

• Chelsea Benson, a character from the US soap opera Days of our Lives
• Chelsea Daniels, a character from the US sitcom That's So Raven
• Chelsea Fox, a character from the UK soap opera EastEnders
• Chelsea Girls, a 1966 film
• Chelsea Lately, a US TV talk show starring Chelsea Handler

Music[link]

• Chelsea (American band), was an early 70's folk rock band from New York City, and former Kiss drummer Peter Criss's first band
  • Chelsea (American band album), the only album released by the above band
• Chelsea (band), an English punk rock band, formed in London in 1976
  • Chelsea (British band album), debut album released in 1979
• Chelsea Grin (band), an American deathcore, formed in Utah in 2007
• "Chelsea" (song), a song by STEFY
• "Chelsea Dagger", a song by The Fratellis
• Chelsea Girl (album), an album by Nico
• "Chelsea Monday" (song), a song from Marillion's Script for a Jester's Tear album
• "Chelsea Morning", a song written by Joni Mitchell and recorded by herself and by Judy Collins, Neil Diamond and others
• "Chelsea Rodgers", single from Prince's Planet Earth album
• "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea", an Elvis Costello song from his second album, This Year's Model.

Printed media[link]

• Chelsea (magazine), a small literary magazine since 1958 in New York City
• Chelsea Boys, a comic strip

Sport[link]

• Chelsea F.C., a premier league association football club in London, UK
• Chelsea Hajduk Soccer Club, an association football club in Melbourne, Australia
• Chelsea L.F.C., a women's association football club associated with Chelsea F.C.
• Bechem Chelsea, a Ghanaian football club based in Bechem, Ghana.
• Chelsea F.C., the former name of Glenfield Rovers, a New Zealand association football club based in North Shore City

Other[link]

• Chelsea (beverage), a carbonated, low-alcohol beverage
• Chelsea boots
• Chelsea bun, a cake
• Chelsea chic

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Gary Cahill

Cahill playing for Chelsea in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Gary James Cahill[1]
Date of birth	(1985-12-19) 19 December 1985 (age 26)[1]
Place of birth	Sheffield, England
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	24
Youth career
2000–2004	Aston Villa
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2008	Aston Villa	28	(1)
2004–2005	→ Burnley (loan)	27	(1)
2007	→ Sheffield United (loan)	16	(2)
2008–2012	Bolton Wanderers	130	(13)
2012–	Chelsea	10	(1)
National team‡
2004–2005	England U20	3	(1)
2007	England U21	3	(0)
2010–	England	8	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 10:40, 9 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17:20, 31 March 2012 (UTC)

Gary James Cahill (born 19 December 1985) is an English footballer who plays as a central defender for Chelsea and the England national team. Although he usually plays centre back for both club and country, Cahill has been deployed as a right back, left back and defensive midfielder, because of his pace and technical ability.

Cahill began his career playing for the AFC Dronfield youth set-system in Derbyshire. In 2000, he joined the Aston Villa Academy and continued his development. In 2004 he joined Burnley on a season-long loan, where he performed well before returning to make his Aston Villa debut. Later, he signed for hometown club Sheffield United on a three-month loan deal. On 30 January 2008, he signed for Bolton Wanderers for approximately £5 million. Cahill performed well for Bolton through the years, cementing a place in the first-team and becoming vice-captain. He made 130 league appearances and scored 13 league goals for Bolton. In January 2012, Cahill signed for Chelsea for approximately £7 million. Cahill won the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup in his debut season at Chelsea FC.

Cahill is an English international. He was eligible to play for either England or the Republic of Ireland, but chose to play for England. On 6 February 2007, he made his under-21 debut for England, coming on as a substitute against Spain. On 4 June 2009, Cahill was called up to the England squad for the match against Kazakhstan. However, he only made his debut on 3 September 2010, coming on as a substitute against Bulgaria. On 29 March 2011, Cahill made his first start for the national team in the friendly against Ghana. He scored his first international goal against Bulgaria in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier.

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Cahill began his career with AFC Dronfield, a Sunday League team in Derbyshire, where he played until he was 15.^[2] During his time there, he was scouted by a number of clubs, including Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and Aston Villa – whom he signed for as a member of the club's Academy.^[3] "All my friends played for the local side, AFC Dronfield, so I went along and started playing centre half and in centre midfield for them," said Cahill in an interview with the Manchester Evening News.^[3]

Aston Villa[link]

Cahill previously played for Burnley on loan and during his spell, which began in November 2004, he was handed the accolades of Burnley's Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, and scored once in the league, against Stoke City.^[4]

He made his impressive Aston Villa debut as a substitute in the 5–0 defeat at Arsenal and impressed on his first start in the local derby game against West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park on 9 April 2006. Just a week later he scored his first goal, an overhead kick against rivals Birmingham City; Villa went on to win the match 3–1.^[5] Cahill started the following season injured, but took advantage of an injury to Martin Laursen later in the season to force his way into the first team. He made several appearances for Villa during the 2006–07 season.

On 19 September 2007, Cahill joined Sheffield United on a three month loan deal.^[6] He made his debut in a 3–2 away defeat at Crystal Palace a few days later.^[7] Cahill scored his first goal for Sheffield United in a 1–0 win at Stoke City on 10 November 2007.^[8] Under the terms of his loan agreement, Cahill returned to Villa Park in mid December 2007 having played sixteen games and scoring two goals.

Speculation surrounded Cahill's future in the January 2008 transfer window, with Birmingham City,^[9] Bolton Wanderers and Turkish club Beşiktaş J.K.^[10] all reportedly showing an interest.

Bolton Wanderers[link]

Cahill warming up for Bolton Wanderers in August 2011

Bolton Wanderers scout Colin Harvey was impressed by Cahill and on 30 January 2008, Cahill joined Bolton Wanderers on a three-and-a-half year deal. On 2 February 2008 Cahill made his league debut for Bolton in their 2–0 victory over Reading.^[11] Cahill has since become a firm favourite at the Reebok Stadium and won the "Best Newcomer" award at the end of the season. In July 2008, he was handed the number 5 shirt by manager Gary Megson, which was previously worn by Abdoulaye Méïté. On 5 October 2008, Cahill scored his first Bolton goal in a 3–1 victory at West Ham United. In August 2009, 18 months after joining Bolton, Cahill signed a new three year contract with the club.^[12][13]

Cahill suffered a blood clot in his left arm after a training injury which forced him to pull out of the home game against Fulham on 6 February 2010; he spent the weekend in hospital. The treatment for the ailment meant that he could not play for a number of months.^[14] Cahill nonetheless cemented his place at the heart of the Bolton defence in the 2010–11 season, making 36 Premier League appearances and scoring three goals, all of which came at home.^[15]

On 13 August 2011, he scored on the opening day of the 2011–12 season against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road in a 4–0 victory from 25 yards out in the 45th minute. During December 2011, before the January transfer window, Bolton manager Owen Coyle admitted that Cahill may be sold as his contract will expire at the end of the 2011–12 season. Coyle said: "If he [Cahill] does move, there is no doubt there will be top clubs clamouring for Gary."^[16] This led much speculation that Cahill could move to higher-placed clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United or Tottenham Hotspur, who all showed interest.^[17] On 23 December 2011, Coyle confirmed that they had started negotiations with Chelsea about a possible transfer: "Regarding Gary Cahill, there has been dialogue between ourselves and Chelsea".^[18][19] On 30 December 2011, Coyle revealed that they agreed a transfer fee for Cahill with Chelsea and that they could start negotiating personal terms. Coyle said: "We have given Gary's representatives permission to speak to Chelsea."^[20][21] Despite being on the brink of joining Chelsea, Cahill played against Wolves^[22] and scored Bolton's winner in the 2–1 win against Everton at Goodison Park.^[23] On 6 January 2012, Coyle said that Cahill was not going to play in their FA Cup clash as this would leave him cup-tied for Chelsea, as he said: "Gary Cahill will be one of those to miss out on the game."^[24][25]

Chelsea[link]

Cahill with his Chelsea team-mates, playing against Arsenal, the 2011-12 season

On 16 January 2012, more than two weeks after the clubs had agreed a fee for him, believed to be in the region of £7 million, and the negotiating of personal terms, Cahill signed for Chelsea.^[26] Cahill told the club's official website: "Chelsea is a massive club, it is a club that looks to win trophies season in season out and it is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can't turn down."^[27][28][29] He thanked his former club and their fans saying "This is the right move for me at the right time and I would like to thank everyone at Bolton because I've had a great four years at the football club. My spell with Wanderers has enabled me to break into the England squad, and I would particularly like to thank the fans for their support along the way. I always appreciated their backing."^[30]

On 28 January 2012, Cahill was one of Chelsea's unused substitutes in their 1–0 victory in the FA Cup against Queens Park Rangers^[31][32] On 5 February, Cahill made his debut for Chelsea in the 3–3 draw against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.^[33] On 18 March 2012, he scored his first goal in a Chelsea shirt against Leicester City, in the FA Cup, in a 5–2 win. Cahill scored when he rose above Wes Morgan to head the ball from six yards from a Juan Mata cross, before unveiling the word's "PRAY 4 MUAMBA" on his inner T-shirt, in support of his former Bolton team-mate Fabrice Muamba, who had collapsed in a match the day before.^[34] He scored his first league goal for the club in the following game, opening the scoring in a 2–1 away defeat to Manchester City.^[35]

Cahill started Chelsea's Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona because of an injury picked up by David Luiz in the 5–1 victory in the FA Cup semi-final against Spurs. The game finished 1–0 with Cahill making some crucial tackles in the second half.^[36] In the sixth minute of the Champions League semi-final second leg match against Barcelona, Cahill stretched to win the ball and went down with an hamstring injury. Although, he tried to run it off he eventually he had to be replaced by Jose Bosingwa in the thirteenth minute. Chelsea went on to win 3–2 on aggregate and set up a meeting with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final.^[37] This injury sidelined him for three weeks, which meant that on 5 May 2012, he didnt play but won his first trophy in the Premier League with Chelsea, the 2012 FA Cup.^[38] With the suspension's of both defender's John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, questions aroused whether Cahill, along with David Luiz, would be fit for the UEFA Champions League final, to fill the gap. On 15 May 2012, he completed his first full training session after three weeks. "We've worked really hard, all day, afternoons, and I'm fortunate enough to be back." he said. "Hopefully, I'll be fit, I will be fit, and hopefully I'll be out there if selected".^[39] On 19 May 2012 he started the game and was part of the team that defeated Bayern Munich on penalties in the UEFA Champions League Final, to give Chelsea their first ever UEFA Champions League trophy win.^[40] He received praise for his performance especially as he was still suffering from the injury sustained during the semi-final second leg.^[41]

International career[link]

Cahill warming up with England in 2009

Cahill was one of a number of uncapped players in Stuart Pearce's first squad as England U21 coach. He was not chosen to start the match, on 6 February 2007, against Spain. His first under-21 cap for England was the first game at the new Wembley Stadium, where he partnered Anton Ferdinand at the centre of the England defence. His final of four caps came in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, where he made one appearance. Cahill was called up to the England squad for the match against Kazakhstan on 4 June 2009 following the withdrawal of Rio Ferdinand,^[2][42] but had to wait over a year for his first cap, until he came on as a second half substitute for Michael Dawson on 3 September 2010 against Bulgaria, in a 4–0 win, at Wembley Stadium.^[43] In doing so, he became the first Bolton Wanderers player to play for England since Michael Ricketts in 2002.^[44] On 29 March 2011, Cahill made his first start for the national team against Ghana in a friendly that ended 1–1.

Until he played for England he was also eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland through an Irish grandparent.^[45] However, his manager at Bolton and former Ireland international, Owen Coyle has said that Cahill only wanted to represent England.^[46]

On 2 September 2011, in his first competitive start, Cahill scored his first international goal for England against Bulgaria in the qualifying rounds of UEFA Euro 2012 in the 13th minute.^[47] In netting the opening goal, Cahill became the first Bolton Wanderers player to score for England since Ray Parry against Northern Ireland in 1959.^[48]

On 29 February 2012, he scored a goal at Wembley against Holland to make the score 1–2, with England eventually losing 2–3.^[49]

Style of play[link]

Cahill is known for his technical ability, powerful heading in defence and attack, volleying, pace and good tackling. Former Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas said of Cahill: "I think his technical attributes are immense and his pace is fantastic as well."

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

As of 21 March 2012.^[50]

¹Includes FA Cup and League Cup.

International[link]

As of 15 November 2011.

International goals[link]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	2 September 2011	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	Bulgaria	0–1	0–3	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
2.	29 February 2012	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Netherlands	1–2	2–3	Friendly

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Chelsea F.C.

• FA Cup (1): 2011–12
• UEFA Champions League: 2011–12

Individual[link]

• Aston Villa Goal of the Season: 2005–06
• Burnley Player of the Year: 2004–05
• Burnley Young Player of the Year: 2004–05
• Bolton Wanderers Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09^[51]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gary Cahill

• Gary Cahill profile at Chelsea F.C.
• Gary Cahill career stats at Soccerbase
• Gary Cahill England profile at Englandstats

v t e England squad – 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship 1 Carson 2 Hoyte 3 Baines 4 Taylor 5 Ferdinand 6 Cahill 7 Reo-Coker 8 Bentley 9 Richardson 10 Nugent 11 Young 12 Routledge 13 Hart 14 Rosenior 15 Milner 16 Lita 17 Huddlestone 18 Noble 19 Derbyshire 20 Onuoha 21 Vaughan 22 Alnwick 23 Whittingham Coach: Pearce

v t e England squad – UEFA Euro 2012 1 Hart 2 Johnson 3 Cole 4 Gerrard (c) 5 Cahill 6 Terry 7 Walcott 8 Parker 9 Carroll 10 Rooney 11 Young 12 Baines 13 Green 14 Jones 15 Lescott 16 Milner 17 Henderson 18 Jagielka 19 Downing 20 Oxlade-Chamberlain 21 Defoe 22 Welbeck 23 Butland Coach: Hodgson

Eden Hazard

Personal information
Full name	Eden Hazard
Date of birth	(1991-01-07) 7 January 1991 (age 21)
Place of birth	La Louvière, Belgium
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position	Attacking midfielder Winger
Club information
Current club	Lille
Number	10
Youth career
1995–2003	Royal Stade Brainois
2003–2005	Tubize
2005–2007	Lille
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2007–	Lille	147	(36)
National team‡
2006	Belgium U15	5	(1)
2006	Belgium U16	4	(2)
2006–2008	Belgium U17	17	(2)
2007–2009	Belgium U19	11	(6)
2008–	Belgium	27	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:38, 31 May 2012 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:20, 25 May 2012 (UTC)

Eden Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian international footballer who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1 and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking midfielder who can change the game with a turn of pace or a dribble".^[2][3][4] He has also been described as "a defender's nightmare" and has earned critical acclaim for his playing style, which has led to the media, coaches, and players drawing comparisons to FIFA World Player of the Year winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.^{[2][5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Hazard is the son of former Belgian footballers and began his football career in Belgium playing for local clubs Royal Stade Brainois and Tubize. In 2005, he moved to France joining first division club Lille. Hazard spent two years in the club's academy and, at the age of 16, made his professional debut in November 2007. In his first full season as a starter, he won the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year award becoming the first non-French player to win the award.^[11] In the 2009–10 season, Hazard captured the award again becoming the first player to win the award twice.^[12] He was also named to the league's Team of the Year. Since making his debut in 2007, Hazard has become an integral part of the club under manager Rudi Garcia racking up over 190 appearances. In the 2010–11 season, he was a part of the Lille team that won the league and cup double and, as a result of his performances, was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player to win the award.^[13] Hazard was also given the Bravo Award by Italian magazine Guerin Sportivo for his performances during the 2010–11 season.^[14]

Hazard is a Belgium international, having represented his nation at under-17 and under-19 level. Prior to starring for the senior team, he played on the under-17 team that qualified for the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship and 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Hazard made his senior international debut in November 2008, at the age of 17 years and 316 days, in a friendly match against Luxembourg. Nearly three years after his debut, Hazard scored his first international goal against Kazakhstan in October 2011.

Personal life[link]

Hazard was born in the city of La Louvière, but was raised in Braine-le-Comte, a small town in the Wallonia region. He grew up in a family where football was dominant. His mother, Carine and father, Thierry (not to be confused with the French singer and songwriter of the same name) were both footballers in Belgium. His father spent most of his career playing at semi-professional level with R.A.A. Louviéroise in the Belgian Second Division.^[15] He played mainly as a defensive midfielder.^[15] His mother played as a striker in the Belgian Women's First Division and stopped playing when she was three months pregnant with Eden.^[15][16] After playing football, both parents became sports professors.^[15] Thierry retired from his position in 2009 in order to devote more time to his children.^[15]

Hazard is the oldest of four children. He has three brothers, all of whom play football. Thorgan currently plays for Lille's biggest rivals RC Lens.^[17][18][19] Hazard's other younger brothers are Kylian, 16, and Ethan, seven. In August 2011, Kylian joined the youth academy of Lille after a deal had been agreed to allow him to join the club when he turned 16, while Ethan remains in Belgium playing in the youth academy of Eden's former club A.F.C. Tubize.^{[15][17][20][21]} Hazard and his three brothers were raised in a comfortable environment with their parents ensuring they had whatever they needed to excel.^[22] The family lived "no more than three meters" from a football training ground and the brothers often ventured onto a training pitch through a small hole in order to hone and develop their skills.^[16] Hazard is currently in a relationship with girlfriend Natasha. On 19 December 2010, Belgian and French media announced that she had given birth to a baby boy.^[23][24]

Club career[link]

Early career[link]

Hazard began his football career playing for hometown club Royal Stade Brainois at the age of four. During his time at the club, one of his youth coaches described him as a "gifted" player who "knew everything. I had nothing to teach him".^[25] Hazard spent eight years at the club before moving to Tubize. While at Tubize, he was spotted by a Lille scout while playing in a local tournament with the club. The scout's subsequent report on the player prompted club officials to meet with Hazard's father and offer the young player an aspirant (youth) contract.^[26] Hazard's parents accepted the offer with hopes that the training facilities in France would be better.^[22] Hazard's father later admitted that the decision to let Eden and, later Thorgan, join clubs in the North of France was the best solution stating "They remained so close to home and, at the same time, they integrated at structures where they could grow, because in Belgium, unfortunately, it's a little empty for the training of youth".^[16]

Lille[link]

In his first year as a professional, Hazard was coached by Claude Puel.

Hazard joined Lille in 2005 and spent two years developing in the club's local sports school, due to its youth academy in Luchin not being in operation at that time.^[27] On 28 May 2007, he signed his first professional contract agreeing to a three year deal with Lille.^[26] At the start of the 2007–08 season, at the age of 16, Hazard was promoted to the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football, though he still played with Lille's under-18 team in its league and the Coupe Gambardella. Hazard made his amateur debut on 1 September 2007 in a league match against Racing Club de France appearing as a second half substitute in a 3–1 defeat.^[28] He made his first start a week later in the team's 1–0 defeat to Lesquin.^[29]

After spending the majority of October and the early part of November playing with the club's under-18 team, on 14 November, due to several players being on international duty, Hazard was called up to the senior team by manager Claude Puel to participate in a friendly match against Belgian club Bruges on 16 November.^[30] He appeared as a substitute in the match and, as a result of his performance, was included in the 18-man squad to face Nancy in a league match on 24 November.^[31] Hazard, subsequently, made his professional debut in the match coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute.^[32] Hazard returned to the club's reserve team and spent December playing with the squad. Following the winter break, Hazard returned to the first team in January and made substitute appearances in three league matches against Metz, Sochaux, and Paris Saint-Germain.^[33][34][35] Following the match against Paris Saint-Germain, he was demoted back to amateur level where he played concurrently with the reserve team in the fourth division and the under-18 team in the Coupe Gambardella. On 17 May 2008, he scored his first amateur goal in a 3–2 victory over Vitré.^[36] Hazard finished his amateur career with 11 appearances and one goal, helping the reserve team finished in fifth place, which was first among professional clubs' reserve teams playing in the group.^[37][38]

2008–09 season[link]

Hazard has spent the last four years under the tutelage of manager Rudi Garcia.

For the 2008–09 season, Hazard was given the number 26 shirt after playing with the number 33 shirt in his debut season. He was also promoted to the senior team permanently by new manager Rudi Garcia. Early on, he made substitute appearances regularly making his season debut as a substitute on 14 September 2008 against Sochaux in a 1–1 draw.^[39] One of his substitute appearances proved beneficial against Auxerre on 20 September. With Lille trailing 2–1 in the waning minutes of the match, Hazard, after Lille took a corner kick, quickly scooped up a short clearance from Auxerre and took a right-footed shot just outside the box. It beat the keeper and drew the score 2–2 in the 88th minute.^[40] With Lille's confidence high, the club won the match 3–2 in injury time following a goal from Tulio de Melo.^[41] Hazard's first career goal resulted in him becoming the youngest goalscorer in the club's history.^[42] Four days after scoring his first professional goal, Hazard made his first professional start in a 4–2 defeat on penalties to Montpellier in the Coupe de la Ligue.^[43] After featuring as a substitute in the team's next five league matches, on 15 November, Hazard made his first professional league start against Saint-Étienne. He capped the appearance by scoring the opening goal in the club's 3–0 victory.^[44] His assured performances with the club resulted in Lille offering him a three year contract extension, which he agreed to on 18 November 2008, tying him to the club until 2012.^[45]

After featuring as a substitute in December, Hazard returned to the starting lineup in January. On 23 January, he scored the second goal in a 3–0 win over amateur club Dunkerque in Round of 32 of the Coupe de France.^[46] Two weeks later, he scored the match-winning goal in a league match against Sochaux and, on 22 February, assisted on the winner against Monaco.^[47][48] In the Round of 16 of the Coupe de France, Hazard netted a goal in a 3–2 win over the competition's defending champions Lyon.^[49] On 26 April, he scored the opening goal against Marseille, though Lille lost the match 2–1.^[50] In the final ten league matches of the campaign, Hazard started eight and contributed to the team finishing in fifth place, which resulted in Lille qualifying for the newly-created UEFA Europa League. After the season, he was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Young Player of the Year, becoming the first international player to achieve the honor.^[12]

2009–10 season[link]

Following the 2008–09 season, constant media speculation occurred in numerous countries regarding Hazard's availability on the transfer market. Despite Lille chairman Michel Seydoux declaring the player off limits and Hazard stating that he wanted to remain at the club for at least another season, several clubs declared interest in the player.^[52][53] These included English clubs Arsenal and Manchester United, Italian club Internazionale, and Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid. French football legend Zinedine Zidane personally recommended the player to the latter club.^{[54][55][56][57][58]}

Hazard began the 2009–10 season on a positive note scoring in Lille's first competitive match of the season. The goal, contributing to the team's 2–0 victory, came against Serbian club FK Sevojno in the first leg of the club's third qualifying round match in the UEFA Europa League.^[59] On 27 August, he scored his second career European goal in the club's second leg tie in the playoff round against Belgian club Genk. It was Lille's final goal in the club's 4–2 victory.^[60] The 6–3 aggregate scoreline assured the club progression to the Europa League group stage. On 22 October, he scored a goal in Lille's important 3–0 victory over Italian club Genoa in the 84th minute after entering as a substitute 10 minutes prior. Upon receiving the ball on the left wing, Hazard proceeded to dash through the midfield dribbling past six Genoa defenders before finishing at the 18-yard box.^[61][62] A month later, Hazard was instrumental in Lille's 5–1 thrashing of Czech club Slavia Prague as he was partly responsible for the opening goal — slicing through the defense and delivering a cross near post, which awkwardly went off Slavia player Marek Suchý resulting in an own goal.^[63]

On 20 December, he scored his first league goal of the season in the club's 3–0 win over Le Mans. Hazard also provided both the assists on the other two goals.^[64] On 30 January, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's win over Derby du Nord rivals Lens.^[65] The victory helped the club achieve stability in the league by keeping them in the UEFA Champions League places. It also ended a disaster of a week which saw Lille suffer elimination from both of France's cup competitions. Five days later, Hazard and Lille reached an agreement on a contract extension, which will keep the player at the club until 2014.^[66][67] On 11 March, Hazard scored the only goal in Lille's victory over English club Liverpool in the first leg of the club's UEFA Europa League tie converting a free kick in the 83rd minute.^[68] Three weeks later, Hazard provided two assists in the club's 4–1 win over fellow title contenders Montpellier.^[69] The two passes brought his league tally to seven, tied for second in the league. For his impressive displays in the month of March, Hazard was given the UNFP Player of the Month award.^[70]

On 29 April, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award. He was also nominated, for the second consecutive season, for the Young Player of the Year award.^[71] On 9 May, Hazard was awarded the UNFP Young Player of the Year trophy for the second consecutive season. He became the first player since its inception in 1994 to win the award twice.^[12] Hazard lost out on the Player of the Year award, which was awarded to Lyon striker Lisandro López.

2010–11 season[link]

Hazard began the 2010–11 campaign as a starter featuring in Lille's first six league matches of the season, as well as matches in the UEFA Europa League. On 29 August 2010, he scored his first goal of the season in a 1–1 draw with Nice.^[72] In late September, Hazard began to struggle with inconsistency and was benched by Garcia in an effort to "allow him (Hazard) to breathe and learn that his performances were insufficient".^[73] Hazard, subsequently, appeared as a substitute in the team's 2–1 defeat to Portuguese club Sporting in the Europa League and as a substitute in the next three league matches against Toulouse, Montpellier, and Lyon.^[74][75][76] Hazard later admitted that his first bout of inconsistency affected him stating "The first two months were a bit tough. I wouldn’t say that I began doubting my abilities, but I definitely went through a really patchy spell".^[77]

On 7 October, Belgium national team manager Georges Leekens, citing Hazard's recent spell on the bench at Lille, said that the player needed to work harder, both physically and mentally, to regain his past year's form. The team's assistant coach, Marc Wilmots, also stated that Hazard often displayed a lazy mentality while training with the national team.^[78] Garcia responded to Leekens comments the following day stating that he thought they were "excessive" and that "Eden is only 19 years old" and can still "make more progress in all areas."^[79] Following Belgium's match against Kazakhstan, in which Hazard failed to start or even appear on the substitute's bench, Leekens responded to Garcia's comments declaring that he would stand by his previous comments and that players must think about the team and not themselves.^[80] Hazard, himself, later reflected on Leekens and Garcia comments in February 2011 stating "I learned a lot during those few weeks, mentally speaking. And since then things have got better. The national side has had a fair bit to do with that – I get a lot out of being a part of it".^[77]

Following the international break, Hazard recaptured his scoring form netting the final goal in Lille's 4–1 victory over Caen in the Coupe de la Ligue on 27 October.^[81] Ten days later, he scored his second league goal of the season in a 3–1 win against the league table leaders Brest.^[82] On 21 November, Hazard assisted on both Lille's goals in a 2–1 win over Monaco.^[83] The victory continued the club's domestic unbeaten streak, which led to Lille topping the league table following an emphatic 6–3 victory against Lorient on 5 December.^[84] At the turn of the calendar year, Hazard scored in the team's first match against amateur club Forbach in the Coupe de France. Lille won the match 3–1.^[85] In the team's following match, he assisted on goals scored by Moussa Sow and Gervinho in a 2–0 league victory over Nice.^[86] On 19 January, Hazard scored the second goal in a 3–0 victory over Nancy.^[87] On 4 March, Lille officials confirmed that Hazard had added an extra year to his contract. The new deal ties him to the club until 2015.^[88][89] In his first match after the news, Hazard scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–1 away win over title rivals Marseille.^[90] The goal was scored on a left-footed shot from almost 35 metres (38 yd) out and was clocked at 95 km/h (59 mph).^[91]

On 2 April, Hazard capped his 100th league appearance with Lille by scoring the second goal in a 3–1 win over Caen.^[92] The goal tied his career-high for goals in a season and also moved Lille eight points clear at the top of the league table.^[93] For his performances in the month of March, Hazard was named the UNFP Player of the Month for the second time in his career.^[94] On 19 April, after appearing as a first half substitute, he scored the opening goal in Lille's 2–0 Coupe de France semi-final victory over Nice.^[95] The victory inserted the club into the 2011 Coupe de France Final; the club's first appearance in the competition's final since 1955. On 7 May, Hazard converted a game-winning free-kick goal in the team's 1–0 win over Nancy.^[96] Three days later, he was nominated for the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season.^[97] In the Coupe de France final, Hazard played 89 minutes as Lille defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0 at the Stade de France.^[98] A week later, Lille clinched the Ligue 1 title by drawing 2–2 away to Paris Saint-Germain, achieving the club's first league championship since the 1953–54 season and the club's first double since the 1945–46 season.^[99][100] The domestic cup and league title were the first two honours in Hazard's career. On the day after Lille won the league, Hazard was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Year becoming the youngest player ever to win the award.^[101] He was also rewarded with a place in the organization's Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.^[13]

2011–12 season[link]

Ahead of the 2011–12 season, Hazard switched to the number 10 shirt.^[102] In Lille's first competitive match of the season against Marseille in the 2011 Trophée des Champions, Hazard scored the team's second goal, which put Lille up 2–0. Marseille would later come back to win the match 5–4.^[103] On 20 August, in the team's third league match of the season, Hazard assisted on Lille's opening goal, scored by Benoît Pedretti, in a 2–1 win over Caen.^[104] A month later on 10 September, he scored two goals in a 3–1 away victory against Saint-Étienne.^[105][106] Fours days after, Hazard made his UEFA Champions League debut in a 2–2 group stage draw with Russian club CSKA Moscow.^[107] In the team's next league match following his Champions League debut, he converted a penalty in a 2–2 draw with Sochaux.^[108] Three days after, Hazard scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 draw against Bordeaux.^[109] Against Turkish outfit Trabzonspor on 27 September, he assisted on Lille's only goal, scored by Moussa Sow, in a 1–1 draw.^[110] After going over two months without scoring a league goal, on 3 December, Hazard came on as a substitute and scored the match-winning goal in a win over Ajaccio converting a penalty—described as a "Antonín Panenka-style chipped penalty".^[111][112] Two days later, Hazard was among several players nominated for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Team of the Year for the 2011 calendar year.^[113]

In Lille's final match before the winter break, Hazard tied his career-high for league goals in a season by scoring the team's third goal in a 4–4 draw with Nice.^[114] After scoring the goal, Hazard celebrated by paying tribute to Molami Bokoto, a former Lille youth academy player who had died a day prior.^[115][116] In Lille's first match following the 2011–12 winter break, Hazard scored his ninth goal of the campaign in a 6–0 away win over amateur club Chantilly in the Coupe de France.^[117] In the following month, Lille were defeated 2–0 by league rivals Marseille and eliminated from both national cup competitions.^{[118][119][120]} On 28 January, Hazard scored the team's opening goal converting a penalty in a 3–0 win over Saint-Étienne.^[121] Two weeks later, he converted a free kick goal against Bordeaux. Lille had been trailing 4–1 prior to the goal and eventually recovered to draw the match at 4–4, however, Bordeaux scored in injury time to secure a thrilling 5–4 win.^[122][123] After going scoreless in the team's next three league matches, on 3 March, Hazard scored both team goals in a 2–2 draw with Auxerre.^[124] His second goal, a penalty conversion, brought his total goal tally on the season to 13, which is a personal best.

Following Lille's 2–1 league defeat to Lyon on 10 March^[125], Hazard embarked on a streak in which he charted a statistical output in the team's next three league matches. On 18 March, he scored a goal and assisted on two others in a 4–0 win over local rivals Valenciennes.^[126] On the next match day against Evian, Hazard converted a penalty and assisted on a goal by Dimitri Payet in a 3–0 win.^[127] He repeated his previous feat against Evian the following week on April Fools' Day 2012 in a 2–1 win over Toulouse.^[128] In the first half, Hazard converted a first-half penalty and later assisted on another Payet goal to cap the victory.^[129] On 15 April, Hazard marked his 100 consecutive Ligue 1 appearance, which is the longest current run in the French top flight, by scoring a goal and assisting on another in a 4–1 win over Ajaccio.^[130][131] A week later, Hazard scored another goal, this time in a 2–0 win over Dijon.^[132] On 29 April, in a vital league fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, he converted his ninth penalty of the season to draw the match at 1–1 canceling out a goal from Javier Pastore. Hazard later contributed to Lille's game-winning goal after delivering a rabona-style cross into the box, which was laid onto the path of striker Nolan Roux who, subsequently, converted the goal to give Lille a 2–1 win.^[133][134]

On 28 April, for the third consecutive season, Hazard was nominated for the UNFP Player of the Year award.^[135] Two weeks later, he was awarded the prestigious honour ahead of the likes of Olivier Giroud and Younès Belhanda.^[136] After capturing the award, Hazard became the second player in the awards' history after former Paris Saint-Germain striker Pauleta to achieve the honour in consecutive seasons.^[137] He was also included in the Team of the Year for the third straight season. On 20 May, Hazard appeared in his final match as a Lille player, coincidentally, against Nancy, the club he made his professional debut against. In the match, Hazard recorded his first professional hat-trick in a 4–1 win.^[138]

International career[link]

Youth[link]

Hazard with the Belgium national team in 2009.

Hazard has played for various Belgian national youth teams, such as the under-17 and under-19 teams. With the under-17 team, Hazard was a regular in the team making 17 appearances and scoring four goals. He played with the team in the Toto Cup, a yearly international youth tournament held in Austria and, also, played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, which Belgium hosted. In the tournament, Hazard scored his only goal in the team's opening match against the Netherlands converting a penalty in a 2–2 draw.^[139] Throughout the tournament, Hazard impressed media and coaches, which led to many in Belgium comparing him to Belgian football legend Enzo Scifo.^{[140][141][142]} Belgium suffered elimination in the semi-finals of the competition, losing to Spain 7–6 on penalties. Belgium were minutes away from a victory, courtesy of an own goal from David Rochela, which Hazard was particularly instrumental in, however Barcelona striker Bojan Krkić equalized for his nation to send the match into extra time.^[143] Due to finishing in third place at the tournament, Belgium qualified for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, held in South Korea. Hazard was selected to participate and played in all three group stage matches, where Belgium were eliminated.

After playing at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in August and September 2007, Hazard began earning call-ups to the under-19 team the following month in October. His first appearance came in a 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification match against Romania coming on as a substitute in a 4–0 victory.^[144] He subsequently played in the next two group stage matches against Iceland and England. Belgium lost both matches.^[145][146] The negative results eliminated the country from the tournament. Due to being an underage player the previous year, Hazard was eligible for the under-19 team for the 2008–09 season. Due to his increase participation with Lille's first team, Hazard was only allowed participation in 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification matches by his club and, as a result, missed the 2008 edition of the Milk Cup, which was held during Lille's preseason. On 7 October 2008, he scored his first under-19 goal in the team's 5–0 victory over Estonia.^[147] Three days later, he scored a double in a 2–2 draw with Croatia.^[148] In the Elite Round, Hazard led the team in goals scoring three. In the opening match against the Republic of Ireland, he scored the lone goal.^[149] In the next match, Hazard was influential in the team's 5–0 thrashing of Sweden scoring a goal and assisting on two others.^[150] In the team's final match, they faced Switzerland. Belgium needed an outright victory to progress to the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, but were eliminated from qualifying after drawing 1–1 with the Swiss, despite Hazard opening the scoring for Belgium in the 21st minute.^[151]

Senior[link]

Hazard became a regular starter in the national team under former manager Dick Advocaat.

Although Hazard is still eligible to represent Belgium on youth level, on 18 November 2008, he was called up to the Belgium senior team, for the first time, by manager René Vandereycken for the team's match against Luxembourg.^[152] Prior to making his national team debut with Belgium, Hazard was courted by French Football Federation officials who sought the player to play for the France national team as he had became eligible for French citizenship. Hazard did not respond to the courtship and later stated "Because of my presence in France for seven years, I feel 99% Belgian and 1% French, but the idea of French ​​citizenship has never crossed my mind".^[153]

Hazard made his highly anticipated debut for Belgium in the match against Luxembourg coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute for Wesley Sonck.^[154] On his debut, Hazard became the eighth youngest player in Belgian football history at 17 years and 316 days to play for the national team.^[155] On 12 August 2009, after three consecutive substitute appearances with the team, he made his first start under coach Franky Vercauteren in the team's 3–1 friendly loss to the Czech Republic.^[156] Following the resignation of Vercauteren, he was replaced with manager Dick Advocaat. Under Advocaat, Hazard became a starter in the team and, on 14 November 2009, played a full match for the first time in his international career. In the match, which was played against Hungary, Hazard assisted on two goals in a 3–0 win.

Advocaat was replaced as manager in May 2010 with Georges Leekens. After featuring as a starter in Leekens first three matches in charge, Hazard began appearing as a substitute for Belgium during the 2010–11 season. Leekens justified his benching of Hazard citing the players' domestic performance, which had been underwhelming at the time, while also admitting that Hazard displayed a lack of desire in training with the national team and often neglected his defensive duties during international matches.^[78][157] After appearing as a substitute in two straight matches, Hazard returned to the starting lineup for the team's November 2010 friendly match against Russia. In the match, which Belgium won 2–0, Hazard assisted on the team's opening goal scored by Romelu Lukaku.^[158] After featuring as a starter in the team's 1–1 draw with Finland in February 2011, Hazard was relegated back to the substitute's bench for the team's important March 2011 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches as Leekens preferred Nacer Chadli and Moussa Dembélé on the wings.^[159] In the team's 29 March qualifier against Azerbaijan, he appeared as a second-half substitute and assisted on the team's final goal in a 4–1 win.^[160] Following the matches, French media began questioning why Hazard was struggling to be appreciated in his home country, while, at the same time, was being praised in France.^[161] Marc Wilmots, assistant coach of the national team, responded to the media reports stating "Some people only see Eden's qualities" and "the French press are sometimes blinded by his moments of magic".^[162]