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‘It killed me’

Former Chelsea wonderkid Charly Musonda has confirmed that he is retiring from football at just 28 years old.

Musonda, who was once tipped to be the next Eden Hazard, has hung up his boots due to his injury struggles.

He revealed the news on social media, pointing out that his departure from Chelsea in 2022 ‘killed him’.

The Belgian said: “I’ve got a big announcement today. It’s not easy but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time.

“After reflecting on my experiences and who I am, I’ve realised I want to live with purpose to inspire and motivate others.”

Musonda added: “The exit [from Chelsea] killed me. It killed me mentally. It was the worst thing.

“I was obviously with the reserves at that time so the plan was to pick up with the reserves, get some training in and if there were a few games where I could fit in toward the back end of the season, that was the plan.

“Because I literally had just gotten better. I came back [from injury] in December, January and was training with the reserves…

“Then, toward the back end of the season in the car park I ran into Thomas Tuchel, the manager.

“It was my first time meeting him. He said, ‘I’m looking forward to seeing you back and I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be back for pre-season’.

“Because in my mind, it was always pre-season and I’d be back with the first team and we’d see from there.

“So I came back for pre-season and that’s where things got tricky. That was the end of my time at Chelsea.”