Real Madrid superstar Eden Hazard is one of the best players in the world and his talent is clear for all to see, but these five incredible facts about the Belgium international aren't as well-known!
Click through the gallery above for a selection of images of Hazard in Real's famous white strip, courtesy of LaLiga!
He was scoring goals before he was even born
Eden Hazard hails from a footballing family, with his younger brothers Thorgan, Kylian and Ethan all footballers, while his father Thierry and mother Carine both played the game when they were younger. Carine competed in the Belgian women's first division and only stopped when she was three months pregnant with Eden, meaning that he was in some ways part of his mother's final goals before he was born.
Zidane was his idol as he grew up
Zinedine Zidane is now Hazard's boss at Real, which must feel surreal every day the Belgian goes to work. As a kid, he grew up admiring "Zizou" and even owned a France national team shirt with Zidane's name and number on the back. The Frenchman has long been fond of Hazard too, expressing his love of the playmaker's game well before he signed him for Los Blancos.
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He is the youngest winner of the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award
The Ligue 1 Player of the Year prize is given out at the end of every season to the star of France's top division, and Hazard won the accolade twice during his time with Lille, claiming it in back-to-back seasons for his displays in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 campaigns. He was just 20 years of age when he won it the first time, making him the youngest player ever to claim this award.
He is a New York Knicks fan
As well as his love for football, Hazard is also a big basketball fan. He enjoys the NBA and attends matches in North America when he can. The Belgian even has a team he supports, having declared himself a New York Knicks fan.
San Diego 1904 FC is partly owned by Hazard
Hazard still has many years of playing at the top level ahead of him, but he has already stepped into the world of football club ownership, doing so with National Independent Soccer Association side San Diego 1904 FC in the US. He co-founded the club in 2016 along with former Chelsea teammate Demba Ba and other business partners.
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Do you know more interesting facts about Hazard? Feel free to share them in the comments section below!
