Chelsea legend reveals he was a childhood Arsenal fan

One former Chelsea star has admitted he supported Arsenal as a child due to his admiration for club legend Thierry Henry.

Chelsea legend Eden Hazard has made a surprising revelation about his childhood allegiances, admitting he was once an Arsenal supporter before becoming one of the Gunners’ most troublesome opponents.

Speaking to social media personality, Zack Nani, Hazard revealed: “I was a fan of Real Madrid and Thierry Henry, so I loved Arsenal at first. I grew up with the Gunners – but cut that out in the edit!”

The Belgian winger’s admission adds an ironic twist to what became one of the most successful individual records against Arsenal in recent Premier League history. Hazard scored four goals and provided one assist in 14 appearances versus Arsenal in the Premier League during his career, whilst also maintaining an impressive record of winning eight, drawing four, and losing two, against the north London club.

Hazard’s most memorable performance against his childhood club came in the 2019 Europa League final in Baku, where he delivered a devastating blow to Arsenal’s European ambitions. The Belgian scored twice in Chelsea’s commanding 4-1 victory, converting a penalty in the 65th minute before adding a second goal seven minutes later. His performance that night also included an assist for Pedro’s goal that made it 2-0, ending Arsenal’s hopes of both a European trophy and Champions League qualification through success in the competition.

The Europa League final proved to be Hazard’s farewell performance for Chelsea, with the winger completing his long-awaited move to Real Madrid shortly after. His double against Arsenal capped off a remarkable seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge, during which he established himself as one of the Premier League’s finest players.

Hazard’s childhood admiration for Henry is understandable, given the Frenchman’s status as arguably Arsenal’s greatest ever player. Henry scored 228 goals in 377 appearances for the Gunners and was instrumental in the club’s ‘Invincibles’ season of 2003/04. However, Hazard’s eventual career path would see him become the antithesis of Arsenal’s hopes, consistently frustrating the club he once supported.