Eden Hazard has admitted that he was overweight when he arrived at Real Madrid.
The Belgian joined the Spanish club from Chelsea in early June for a fee of £88 million.
But Hazard struggled for early form at his new club, and admits that he put on five kilograms of extra weight while on holiday.
“It’s true,” Hazard told L’Equipe. “I’m not going to hide it, but when I’m on vacation, I’m on vacation.
“I had put on five kilos, I’m the type to put on quickly and lose so quickly if I’m careful.
“When I was 18, in Lille, I was 72 or 73 kg. Muscle mass was 75 kg, on a bad day, 77 kg. I was 80 kg this summer, I lost it in 10 days.”
Hazard’s performances have since improved, and he produced two excellent performances against Russia and Cyprus for Belgium during the international break.
Real Madrid face Real Sociedad this weekend before a crucial Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, with a point enough to secure their place in the last 16.
Hazard revealed how he turned his poor form around.
“I was not good, simply. I said to myself ‘start playing well’.
“The first two months, in what I was proposing, it was not enough.
“I thought, I can do better, I’ve felt better for a month now. I dribble, I accelerate and I try to make others play well.
“I do not do everything right but I try The first two months, I said to myself ‘you’re new, be simple’. Too many passes, people waited for me to dribble.”
