An open letter to Eden Hazard by a Chelsea fan

Dear Eden,

Since last night's opening goal against West Ham, the appreciation of your talent has been coupled with rumours about your exit from the Stamford Bridge.

After last night's brace, you are now the player who has been involved in most goals in the English Premier League this season. Heartiest congratulations on the same.

I still remember watching your first game for Chelsea in 2012 against Wigan Athletic. You showed us fans what you are capable of, right in the first match, when you made a fabulous turn in the middle of the pitch to leave a Wigan player for dead and assisted Branislav Ivanovic for Chelsea's first goal of the season. You also won the penalty which Frank Lampard converted, as he always used to.

Since then, it has been a long and wonderful journey.

As your move to Real Madrid almost fuels up every passing day, it gets difficult for us Chelsea fans. We have never had a player like Eden Hazard at Chelsea before, nor will we able to replace you anytime in the near future.

The club is always bigger than the player or the coach. Manchester United still goes on after Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsenal after Wenger, Roma after Totti, Real Madrid after Cristiano (barely) and someday FC Barcelona would also go on after Lionel Messi.

Also, as Maurizio Sarri said last night, we have to and we will respect your decision at the end of this season. But there is something which I have always wanted to say to you, as a Chelsea fan, since the rumours started after the World Cup last year.

Why choose a set of supporters who boo their own players, over your home of 7 years where fans just turn up in huge numbers to watch you play?

Maybe you would have a great 2 or 3 years in the Spanish capital, but after that, you would just be another name Florentino Perez would want to dispose off in the transfer market, to land another Mbappe or Sterling as your replacement. And then you will be forgotten.

But at Chelsea, irrespective of your decision, you will always be a legend.

Zinedine Zidane has been my all-time favourite football player, and after your comments in your interviews all these years, he seems to be your role model too. It is lucrative that the club you have been linked with, has Zidane as the head coach. But even if it is Zidane, you don't leave your family to go and stay over with your idol, whomsoever it is.

Chelsea has always been a club which has not been very consistent - as a fan it is difficult to say this, but it is the truth. We have won the Premier League and then finished out of the top 4 for the next season. We have won the Champions League and then bowed out of the competition the very next season, just to win the Europa League. But one thing's for sure, Chelsea always wins silverware once every 2 years.

Now it's your decision anyway, and I know your fate will be sealed in the next 3-4 months for sure. But I would like to end with asking a very simple question - Are you really willing to choose a club where you are already a legend and can go on to retire in front of supporters who have been watching you for the past decade, or a club where the players are booed even after their amazing performances?

Hope you make the right decision.

A through and through Chelsea Supporter.