Eden Hazard sends message to ‘old man’ Olivier Giroud after joining his former club | Football

Eden Hazard welcomed ‘old man’ Olivier Giroud to Lille, as the veteran striker was unveiled at the Ligue 1 side on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old returns to France after leaving Los Angeles FC to sign a one-year contract with Les Dogues.

The veteran scored just five goals in his year in America, but is having another crack at European football, in what could be his last job before retirement.

Giroud has no connection with Lille, but knows plenty of people who do, including his former Chelsea teammate Hazard.

The Belgian, who is now retired, spoke to Giroud on a video call as he was presented at Lille, noting that the Frenchman is still playing despite being four years older than him.

‘Oh, old man!’ Hazard said. ‘Look how beautiful is the Dogue! The jersey suits you well.

‘Bro, that’s my club, you know it. You need to take care of LOSC now.’

Giroud replied: ‘Red suits me well, the red. I like blue, but red suits me well.’

Hazard remains an icon at Lille as it is where he made his professional debut before going on to make 194 appearances for the club, scoring 50 goals and winning both Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France in 2011.

Giroud said he spoke to his old teammate before making the choice to move to Lille, also chatting to his former French teammates Mathieu Debuchy and Benjamin Pavard, who also played for the club.

‘For the record, I spoke to Eden earlier on FaceTime and then I also had Mathieu Debuchy who is the godfather of my eldest son,’ said Giroud.

‘I spoke to Benjamin Pavard and they told me about the quality of the environment at Lille, the people, the supporters and the city. But they didn’t really need to convince me.’

It is the first time Giroud has played in Ligue 1 since he left Montpellier for Arsenal in 2012 and he felt it was the ideal time to return.

‘I’m very happy and excited to be back in France, home,’ he said, via BBC Sport. ‘It made perfect sense to return to Ligue 1, 13 years after leaving it.

‘I’ve always considered Lille a top French club. It’s a young and talented squad, which needs experienced players like me. So I’ll also be there in that role.’

Referencing his underwhelming stint in the States, Giroud said: ‘The style of play in the MLS didn’t necessarily suit me. Coming back to France 13 years later is an opportunity and an incredible challenge for me.’

He added: ‘I feel in good shape physically, don’t worry. I’m ready to take up the challenge. I feel good for my age and I want to play until my body says stop.

‘I need challenges, to challenge myself, that’s what has driven my career forward. This challenge speaks to me.’

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