"At Chelsea I've spent unforgettable years, but here I am in seventh heaven."
Saturday 10 August 2019 22:38, UK
Eden Hazard says he learnt a lot from working under managers Maurizio Sarri and Antonio Conte at Chelsea, but admits it is a "childhood dream" playing for Zinedine Zidane, after sealing his £88m move to the Bernabeu.
Hazard made his switch to the Spanish giants in June, signing on a five-year contract, in a deal that could rise to a Real club-record transfer of £130m.
The Belgian has started each of his new side's pre-season friendlies sofar prior to the start of the La Liga season, he scored his first goal for the club in Real's 1-0 triumph over RB Salzburg.
Before Hazard's move to the Spanish capital, his new manager Zidane revealed how he has "always appreciated" his "fantastic" talent.
Having settled in Spain for almost two months now, the 28-year-old admits that he is in "seventh heaven" working under a manager he idolised growing up.
"One of my idols, as a child, was Zinedine Zidane. I had his poster in the room and now I have the opportunity to be trained by him," Hazard told Corriere della Serra.
"As a child I dreamed of one day wearing Real Madrid's shirt. When the Real knocks on your door you can do only one thing: open it.
"At Chelsea I've spent unforgettable years, but here I am in seventh heaven."
Hazard scored 55 goals, and made 37 assists in 147 games during the last three seasons under Antonio Conte and Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge.
The forward admits the two managers played a key role in his development, claiming he "learned a lot" from them prior to his move to Spain.
"They are different from each other in terms of character and football idea, but they have one thing in common: they are two winners. They have a marked style, they know which indications to give to the group."
The winger's Belgium teammate Romelu Lukaku made a £73m move to Inter Milan, prior to the summer transfer window closing for Premier League clubs on August 8.
His compatriot believes Manchester United's second-highest scorer last season will succeed in Serie A, under Hazard's former manager Conte.
"He is a fantastic striker, a bomber who knows how to adapt to all the conditions of the game. Everyone plays better with him in the team."
