Eden Hazard welcomed ‘old man’ Olivier Giroud to Lille, because the veteran striker was unveiled on the Ligue 1 side on Wednesday.
The 38-year-old returns to France after leaving Los Angeles FC to sign a one-year contract with Les Dogues.
The veteran scored just five goals in his yr in America, but is having one other crack at European football, in what may very well be his last job before retirement.
Giroud has no reference to Lille, but knows plenty of people that do, including his former Chelsea teammate Hazard.
The Belgian, who’s now retired, spoke to Giroud on a video call as he was presented at Lille, noting that the Frenchman continues to be playing despite being 4 years older than him.
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‘Oh, old man!’ Hazard said. ‘Look how beautiful is the Dogue! The jersey suits you well.
‘Bro, that’s my club, you recognize it. You could care for LOSC now.’
Giroud replied: ‘Red suits me well, the red. I like blue, but red suits me well.’
Hazard stays an icon at Lille because it is where he made his skilled debut before occurring to make 194 appearances for the club, scoring 50 goals and winning each Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France in 2011.
Giroud said he spoke to his old teammate before making the alternative to maneuver to Lille, also chatting to his former French teammates Mathieu Debuchy and Benjamin Pavard, who also played for the club.
‘For the record, I spoke to Eden earlier on FaceTime after which I also had Mathieu Debuchy who’s the godfather of my eldest son,’ said Giroud.
‘I spoke to Benjamin Pavard and so they told me concerning the quality of the environment at Lille, the people, the supporters and the town. But they didn’t actually need to persuade me.’
It’s the primary time Giroud has played in Ligue 1 since he left Montpellier for Arsenal in 2012 and he felt it was the perfect time to return.
‘I’m very pleased and excited to be back in France, home,’ he said, via BBC Sport. ‘It made perfect sense to return to Ligue 1, 13 years after leaving it.
‘I’ve at all times considered Lille a top French club. It’s a young and talented squad, which needs experienced players like me. So I’ll even be there in that role.’
Referencing his underwhelming stint within the States, Giroud said: ‘The type of play within the MLS didn’t necessarily suit me. Coming back to France 13 years later is a chance and an incredible challenge for me.’
He added: ‘I feel in good condition physically, don’t worry. I’m able to take up the challenge. I feel good for my age and I would like to play until my body says stop.
‘I want challenges, to challenge myself, that’s what has driven my profession forward. This challenge speaks to me.’
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