Eden Hazard snubbed a £50million contract to play in Saudi Arabia before he decided to retire, according to former Chelsea teammate Mikel John Obi.
Last month, the 32-year-old hung up his boots to call time on an esteemed career which featured titles with Chelsea, Lille and Real Madrid.
Injuries plagued Hazard's time in the Spanish capital yet he remains a favourite at Stamford Bridge and did have offers to continue his career.
That interest came from Saudi Arabia where contracts worth £1m-a-week were on the table, according to Mikel. However, he opted to quit the game and focus on bringing up his family.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five YouTube show, the Nigerian recalled a conversation with Hazard over his future.
Mikel said: "[Hazard asked,] 'Should I go to Saudi Arabia, where I’m going to take a million a week... and then what? I got about two or three offers to go to Saudi Arabia.
"He said, 'Mikel, I’ve got a lot of money. You know how I live my life. I don’t spend too much money. So, I have money now to live with my family and to bring up [my children]'.'"
Hazard, who has multiple children with his wife Natacha, won the Premier League and LaLiga twice each as well as the Champions League.
However, upon his retirement much discussion centred around his lost potential as one of the greatest players of his generation - a theory Mikel agrees with having seen him put little effort into Chelsea training.
The 36-year-old noted: "He achieved all that he achieved without putting in effort, imagine if he did.
"This guy comes to training and he doesn't tie his boots up, he just stands there with his hands in his pants."
