Eden Hazard claims he used to come back for pre-season FIVE KILOS overweight during his career and never ran in the off-season… as the Chelsea legend opens up on his fitness troubles and admits he ‘loves beers’

Eden Hazard has opened up on his weight problems as a footballer during a new podcast episode with former Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel.

Mikel’s Obi One podcast has attracted some big names from the past 20 years of Blues history, including former manager Jose Mourinho and ex-players John Terry and Frank Lampard.

In the latest episode published on Monday, Belgian winger Hazard, 33, has revealed some of the problems he had with his weight and fitness during his professional  career.

Hazard retired from the game in October and revealed that he had retired because he ‘wasn’t having fun on the pitch’ anymore following his release by Real Madrid. 

He bluntly responded to the stories which circulated shortly after he signed for the Spanish giants, which stated he had turned up for pre-season out of shape.

After he joined Real Madrid, stories circulated that he was always out of shape in pre-season

Hazard made the revelations in a new podcast episode hosted by John Obi Mikel (left)

‘It was true,’ Hazared said while speaking on the Obi One Podcast. ‘But me, every summer I was putting on four or five kilos because I was thinking you give so much for 10 months, you put your body at the highest level and people kick you, so your time off is your time off. 

‘Don’t ask me to do anything. I enjoy being with my family, going to the beach, so don’t ask me to run in those three or four weeks. I can play football on the beach with my kids, no problem, but don’t ask me to run.

‘But if you look throughout my career, the first month [of the season] is the bit where I was thinking it’s just the beginning, and then from September and October I was flying, because I needed time to put my body and mind in the best way. 

‘So yes, it’s true, I came back after holidays with five kilos, I knew it.

‘As a Belgian guy, we love beers because my country has the best beers in the world, so I’m not telling you I used to drink every day because it’s not true, but sometimes after a good game, one or two is nice.’

Hazard’s seven years of success at Chelsea saw the Blues win two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and two Europa League trophies.

Hazard’s years of success at Chelsea saw the Blues win two Premier Leagues and one FA Cup 

On the podcast, he also opened up on the coach that he didn’t like working under at Chelsea

Elsewhere on the podcast, released on Monday morning, the Belgian spoke about his international teammate Kevin De Bruyne, Chelsea’s current challenges under Mauricio Pochettino, and the way Jude Bellingham had handled himself since arriving at Real Madrid. 

Hazard also revealed the one coach that was able to get the best out of him, and singled out one manager he struggled to work with at Chelsea. 

He also had an unexpected former Blues name as his pick for the most talented footballer he had ever worked with ‘by far’. 

Eden Hazard was speaking on the Obi One Podcast.