Eden Hazard: The new Galactico's humble beginnings

His dream has finally come true. After a long wait, Eden Hazard officially scored his first goal for Real Madrid when facing Granada in the eighth week of La Liga 2019/20.

The 28-year-old said goodbye to Chelsea after delivering the 2018/19 Europa League title. Soon after that, his transfer was officially announced and he could no longer hide his joy because he could finally live his childhood dream.

Hazard meets all the requirements needed to become a Galactico. He is an excellent left winger, scoring a total of 263 goals and 176 assists throughout his career with clubs and the Belgium national team. Besides his talent, Hazard is also popular - having 25.6 million followers on Instagram as of October 8, 2019.

With a transfer value of 100 million Euros - Madrid's second most expensive purchase after Gareth Bale (101 million Euros) - and a salary of around 445,000 Euros per week, it is safe to say that Hazard will become the new face of El Real.

Before all of this, however, there was a time when Hazard was only a 14-year-old young immigrant. He lived in a a dormitory in Lille after moving from his hometown, Braine-le-Comte, Belgium. Four years later, when he was old enough to buy his own home, Hazard chose to live in a simple white building in Hellemmes, Lille. 

For Lille, Hazard is a blessing beyond measure. He led the club to end a 65-year Ligue 1 trophy drought in the 2010/11 season. Under Hazard’s leadership, Lille even brought home the Coupe de France trophy that same season. 

Vincent Vlieghe, who has worked as his agent since Hazard was 16 claims to be lucky because his client is not so demanding and dares to face challenges.

"When he moved to London, it did not make him flinch. He immediately adapted. He was able to enjoy it, not feel pressure," Vlieghe said. "We see him quite often at his home in Cobham and sometimes go to restaurants after a match."

With such attitudes, it is only a matter of time that Hazard fulfills his dream. Today with Madrid, he hopes to win the Champions League, the trophy he has been longing for years.

Cover image credits: The Indian Express