体坛英语新闻：Hazard: I was overweight when I arrived at Real Madrid

MADRID, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid's Belgian international winger Eden Hazard is putting the finishing touches to his recovery from the ankle injury he suffered playing in the Champions League in November and should return to action before the end of the month.

Hazard was playing his best football since signing for Real Madrid from Chelsea this summer when he suffered the injury against Paris Saint Germain, but in an interview published in Sport/Foot Magazine, he explained his fitness issues and how he had been out of shape when he signed for the Spanish club.

Asked about the accusation that he had been overweight when he arrived in Spain, Hazard said: "It's true and I'm not going to hide it. When I'm on holiday, I am on holiday."

"I gained five kilos over the summer, because I am the sort of person who gains weight easily, but if I'm careful I also lose it fast."

"When I was 18 years old at Lille, I weighted 72 or 73 kilos and after gaining muscle I weighed 75 kilos. On a bad day my weight is 77 kilos and I was 80 kilos and I lost it all in 10 days," he said.

Despite arriving overweight, Hazard said he was happy with his performances at Madrid.

"The only bad thing about it are the numbers: I scored and gave an assist and won a penalty. I didn't do enough in the first two months, but I said to myself, 'I can do better' and I felt a lot better."

"I was getting the ball, dribbling, changing pace and helping the others play well," commented Hazard.