Hazard returns to Lens

Celtic FC v Real Madrid: Group F - UEFA Champions League

Thorgan Hazard has officially completed an emotional return to his boyhood club Lens, signing a long-term deal following his departure from Anderlecht. The Belgian international, brother of former Chelsea and Real Madrid icon Eden Hazard, returns to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis fourteen years after first breaking into the professional ranks with the club.

Homecoming for Hazard

Lens have confirmed the signing of Hazard on a free transfer, securing the versatile offensive midfielder until 2028. The 33-year-old was available as a free agent following the expiration of his contract with Belgian giants Anderlecht. His arrival marks a significant full-circle moment for a player who first arrived at the club’s famed La Gaillette academy as a teenager.

Having left Lens in 2012 to join Chelsea alongside his brother Eden, Thorgan went on to enjoy a distinguished career across Europe, most notably with Borussia Monchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund. Now, he returns to the club that gave him his professional debut in Ligue 2, bringing a wealth of experience to a side looking to maintain its status among the French elite.

Leca hails experienced addition

The deal represents a major victory for Lens sporting director Jean-Louis Leca, who was quick to highlight the symbolic and practical importance of Hazard’s return. Speaking to the club’s official website, Leca expressed his delight at bringing a "pure product" of the academy back to the fold as the club prepares for the rigours of European competition.

Leca stated: "The return of a former member of the house is a beautiful symbol, all the more so for a pure product of La Gaillette. With Thorgan, we welcome a player who has 522 club matches, 64 European matches and 47 caps for Belgium. This experience of the very high level will constitute an asset for the team in this season which will see us return to the Champions League."

A career across Europe's top leagues

After struggling for game time at Chelsea, Hazard moved to Zulte Waregem in 2013, where a strong season – 14 goals and a league-high 16 assists – earned him the Belgian Footballer of the Year award in January 2014. He signed permanently for Monchengladbach in 2015, spending five seasons there before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2019, where he helped the club to a Bundesliga runner-up finish and a DFB-Pokal win. He also featured for Belgium at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and Euro 2020 and won a domestic cup with PSV Eindhoven during a loan spell in 2022-23.

Thorgan Hazard holding his new RC Lens jersey number 9 during his official presentation.

Back in the famous number nine

Hazard joined Anderlecht in 2023, and despite a serious knee injury that kept him out for eight months in 2024, he enjoyed a productive 2025-26 season with 20 goal contributions in the Belgian league – including a hat-trick and a player-of-the-month award – before helping the club reach the Croky Cup final.

He finished the campaign with 13 goals in 36 appearances, a form that has now earned him a return to Lens, where he will wear the number 9 shirt ahead of the club's return to the Champions League.