Growing up in Sunderland, Hazard began playing football with his friends and later joining his local school team. During one of these matches, he was spotted by a scout from London-based club
Tottenham Hotspur but was too young to be offered a trial. He was initially invited to train with Spurs when aged 14 and continued to have week-long sessions with the club until, aged 16, he moved to London to join the youth squad as an apprentice. Prone to bouts of homesickness, Hazard ran home six times during the next two years until finally settling at the club. Hazard was transferred to
Chelsea in September 1985 for £300,000 and would remain at the club for the next five years, one of the team that won the
1986 Full Members Cup Final. He moved to
Portsmouth in January 1990 before signing for
Swindon Town in September 1990 for £130,000. Hazard became an influential player in Swindon's play-off winning season of
1992–93 under
Glenn Hoddle which saw them promoted to the
Premier League. He was sold back to Tottenham in November 1993 for £50,000, where he would stay until his retirement on 23 April 1995. ==Coaching career==