Eden Hazard makes SHOCK return to football as he joins third-tier side

 The 33-year-old called an end to his playing career back in October after being released by Real Madrid in the summer prior.

Since then, Hazard has returned to the pitch for a number of charity matches - including Soccer Aid at Stamford Bridge, where he scored in a 6-3 defeat. 

Now, however, Hazard has put his boots on for a professional side once more as he partook in a friendly between giants Anderlecht and minnows Royale Union Tubize-Braine.

The former Chelsea star took the armband for Royale Union and put in a dedicated performance but was unable to prevent his side losing 4-1 on the day. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Belgian winger was the only one to score for Royale Union after dancing through the Anderlecht defence and slotting his effort home. 

The former Real Madrid star celebrated jubilantly with his team-mates after his goal as he continued to work on his fitness post-retirement. 

Earlier this month, Hazard made his return to English football for Soccer Aid 2024, which was hosted at his former home; Stamford Bridge. 

Hazard opened the scoring on the day with a sensational free-kick before watching on as the World XI were bested 6-3 by the England XI.

Mauricio Pochettino was also back at the home of the Blues just weeks after his departure as Chelsea manager. 

There were plenty of other Chelsea connections as England, managed by Frank Lampard, took the lead through Joe Cole, whose effort went through the legs of Petr Cech. 

It wasn't a rosy end for the Belgian at the back end of his career, who previously admitted that he struggled with injury before Covid hit.

'I think I was a bit unlucky with that period with Covid, because if you want to know the real story, I went to Dallas to do the surgery on my ankle then I came back to Madrid and it was Covid,' he told former Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel on the Obi One Podcast earlier this year. 

'I had two to two-and-a-half months of Covid, me at home alone, no physio to do the rehab.'

In a spell plagued by injuries, a £150million man brought in to replace Cristiano Ronaldo after seven years at Chelsea quickly turned into a disaster.

It felt like the club understood, despite their disappointment of forking out  around £400,000-per-week for almost nothing in return. 

Though he is regarded as one of the worst transfers in he club history, it always felt as though he would eventually work it out.

Since retiring, Hazard has tried his hand at a number of sports and recently shared a photo of himself clad in a cycling team's jersey at the bottom of Mont Ventoux, a formidable mountain standing 1,910 metres high.