Hazard: Drogba helped bring me to Chelsea in his last year at Stamford Bridge

Eden Hazard will go down as one of Chelsea's greatest ever players, yet it has now emerged that the Blues owe a huge debt of gratitude to a club legend for making his stint at Stamford Bridge happen.

Hazard, then renowned as one of the most exciting young talents in world football, put pen to paper on a Chelsea contract in summer 2012 and turned down a host of elite European clubs in doing so.

Many simply put the transfer down to the shrewd business acumen of wealthy owner Roman Abramovich, but new information has come to light showing how Chelsea finally got a deal over the line.

There was one key architect in the move who until now had gone uncredited; that man was Didier Drogba... with a little help from ex-Arsenal forward Gervinho.

Speaking recently to Belgian media, amid football's coronavirus lockdown, Hazard has outlined how the wheels were set in motion for his switch from Ligue 1 side Lille to Premier League titans Chelsea.

In conversation with Het Laatste Nieuws, Hazard revealed how Chelsea legend Drogba pulled together his contacts in order to act as a persuader.

Knowing that Hazard played alongside Gervinho at Lille, Drogba was able to speak with the youngster via his Ivory Coast international team-mate.

Just one month prior, Drogba had been the talk of world football after having heroically led Chelsea to a first-ever Champions League victory in Munich, scoring both a late equaliser and converting the decisive penalty in the shootout.

Using his influence, Drogba spoke to Hazard over the phone while he was preparing to play a match.

'Suddenly Gervinho's phone rang in the dressing room near Lille. It was Drogba on the line. He insisted that he tell me, "I need to talk to him"' Hazard revealed.

'Drogba said to me, "You have to come to Chelsea."

'At that moment I was still in doubt. Chelsea was not doing well in the Premier League. They wouldn't play Champions League the following year. [But] After that final, the choice was made quickly.'

Hazard added: 'I knew I would easily adapt. London, close to home, not too far from Lille. [Kevin] De Bruyne had played there, Romelu [Lukaku] was around. There were enough French speakers. I knew I would play enough. I was only sad that he, Drogba, decided to leave.'

After making his decision, Hazard delighted Chelsea fans around the globe with one short tweet on social media.

With part reference to Drogba's heroics in Munich, Hazard revealed on Twitter: 'I'm signing for the Champions League winner.'

Hazard went on to make 245 Premier League appearances with the Blues, scoring 85 times. In his 38 Champions League appearances for Chelsea, Hazard scored eight goals and contributed 11 assists.

The 29-year-old left for Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer of 2019.