Eden Hazard is poised to make his long-awaited Real Madrid debut this weekend in the International Champions Cup and wants to hit the ground running at his new club.
Real Madrid will play their first pre-season match of the 2019/20 season against Bayern Munich on Saturday at the NRG Stadium in Houston, in which Hazard is expected to make his grand debut, and the Belgian will be eager to impress his new surroundings.
“It’s just friendly games [coming up] but for me it’s going to be my first game with Real Madrid, so of course I want to impress everyone: my teammates, the boss, the fans so I will try to do my best,” Hazard explained in an interview with Jay Shetty.
“I try to play freely, sometimes it’s difficult in football, but I’m the kind of player who, if he does not play freely, it’s bad.
“I like to put myself on the right [wing], then on the left, sometimes in the centre, playing by instinct. That’s football for me – instinct. I do not think about each action carefully, in a second I make the decision,” he explained.
There is certainly a lot of expectations and pressure on his shoulders and the fans are counting on the Belgian to inspire the team following the disappointments of the last campaign but Hazard feels his experience will help him to adapt and cope with the demands. Judging by his career, he definitely possesses the quality to make a significant impact.
“When you play for Real Madrid you have to win every year. If in a year you do not win the Champions League, the fans are angry but it’s normal at a club like this. You need to win and that’s why I’m here.
“What can I contribute? I went to Chelsea seven years ago as a baby but I am more mature now – I have played more than 500 games, but I am 28 years old and I still feel young.
“LaLiga is completely different from the Premier League but, with experience, you adapt quickly. I think that experience is the most important thing,” Hazard added.
