Ander Herrera was the one player to shut Eden Hazard down, he shared his secret

Add as preferred source on Google

Belgian winger Eden Hazard confirmed his retirement this week at the age of 32.

After a dismal spell at Real Madrid, and a few weeks as a free agent, Eden Hazard announced this week he has retired.

The winger was one of the top players of his era, starring for Chelsea in the Premier League, choosing to join them over other interested clubs in summer 2012.

Manchester United were one of the interested clubs. ESPN reported how Sir Alex Ferguson had even contacted Hazard in advance of a possible deal, but Chelsea’s riches swayed the player. United went on to spend their money on Robin van Persie the same summer.

READ: Manchester United top scorers and assist leaders for 2023/24

Ander Herrera was the Hazard antidote

Eden Hazard was a success at Chelsea, and tasked several Manchester United to try and stop him. Jose Mourinho, his former boss at Stamford Bridge, eventually found the solution.

The clash came in April 2017 at Old Trafford, when Chelsea arrived top of the league. United, fifth at the time, managed to topple Chelsea and win 2-0, with Ander Herrera the key man.

Herrera executed a legendary man-marking job on Hazard where he barely let the Chelsea forward get a kick.

BBC Sport reported Hazard was “totally snuffed out by Herrera, who covered his every move and forced him to the margins on a miserable afternoon for Chelsea.”

It was hailed as a ‘masterclass’ from Mourinho, with Herrera even going onto score United’s second goal after Marcus Rashford had put the side 1-0 up.

Herrera explained secret

Ander Herrera spoke about the way he shut down Eden Hazard in an interview with United’s official podcast in 2020.

He explained: “Chelsea were on fire, and Mourinho decided that I was the man to stop him.

“Two days before [the match], I said: ‘I’m going to try my best. Even if he goes to the toilet, I will follow him.’”

“It was funny because I had a defensive role at that time, and I gave an assist, and I scored a goal. And Hazard didn’t do too much at that time, so it was funny.

“I want to finish my career with the feeling that I have done everything that I have done in my hands to help my team, my coach and my team-mates.”

Herrera certainly did that. To this day his man-marking efforts are memorable, and serve as an example of how to try and shut down an individually brilliant player at the top of his game.