Eden Hazard must learn to stand up for himself
There comes a time in every man’s life when he has to break away from his parents and learn to stand on his own two feet. That time is now for Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard.
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The English tabloids have been lit ablaze today with comments from Hazard’s father about his son being forced to play through a painful hip injury by the club. Even if that is the truth, it’s not the place of Hazard’s father to take up for his son in the press.
Let me remind you that Eden Hazard is 25-years-old. We aren’t talking about an 18-year-old who is just coming into their own as an adult. Hazard is a world-renowned superstar who plays for Chelsea Football Club. Surely he’s more than capable of fighting his own battles.
It’s not as if the club is putting a gun to his head in an effort to “force” him to play in matches. We’ve seen Hazard come off injured in several matches this season and not once did I see a Chelsea official brandish a firearm to usher him back on the pitch. I’m quite confident that if Hazard didn’t think he was fit enough to play, he could find a way to convince the club to sit him on the bench.
The Belgian attacker deserves to have his toughness questioned. He’s been in atrocious form this season for Chelsea and his lack of productivity was a huge factor in Jose Mourinho’s ousting. If he would have played anywhere near his potential this season, Chelsea might still be managed by The Special One.
If Hazard wants to change the public’s negative perception of him he should start by politely telling his father to keep his mouth shut. Eden’s a big boy and he can stick up for himself in the press. In the words of WWE superstar The Rock, the elder Hazard needs to “know his role and shut his mouth.”
The other thing Hazard needs to do is get in proper shape to be a world-class football player. Watching him play this season it’s clear that he’s carrying a few too many pounds to be at the top of his game. That extra weight could certainly be the cause of his mysterious hip ailment. At the very least, it has to make it significantly worse.
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It’s time for Eden Hazard to step up and be a man. That means shutting his father up, speaking for himself and learning to fight his own battles both on the pitch and in the field of public perception.