‘Impossible to follow Ronaldo’: Real Madrid fans react after Hazard handed iconic no. 7 jersey

Eden Hazard has joined an exclusive list of Real Madrid players to wear the club's famous number 7 jersey after the squad numbers were revealed for the new La Liga season, meaning the Belgian will have some tough acts to follow.

Playmaker Hazard is the central piece to Zinedine Zidane's summer overhaul of the Real Madrid playing staff, joining up with the team in June following a seven-year spell with Chelsea.

It's clear that the Madrid hierarchy have faith in their $165 million new charge as they handed him the famous 7 squad number which was previously used by some of the club's most enduring stars.

Hazard has been identified by the club as the man to fill Cristiano Ronaldo's boots in the Real Madrid frontline following his transfer to Juventus a year ago and, with a glance at the newly-released squad numbers, it is clear they want him to fill his shirt too.

With the exception of a brief interlude on Mariano Diaz's back last season, the 7 jersey has traditionally been worn by the team's talisman.

Ronaldo occupied the shirt throughout his spell with the club. Prior to the Portuguese, the shirt was synonymous with one of the club's favorite sons, Raul. 

Before that it was another Real Madrid legend, Emilio Butragueno, who represented the number. Those three alone combined to score 938 goals in the jersey, which has since been handed to the Belgian.

However, Hazard will need to channel the talents of those who wore the shirt before him to affect a malaise which appeared to infect the club last season which first cost Julen Lopetegui is his job. His replacement midway through the season, Santiago Solari, wasn't retained in favor of re-installing Champions League winning coach Zinedine Zidane, who was announced in March. 

The instability at the club resulted in just a third-placed finish, some 19 points adrift of champions Barcelona leading in part to the signing of Hazard and Serbian international Luka Jovic. 

Fans have reacted to Hazard being handed the iconic number with a mixture of support and trepidation as to whether he will ever be able to match the feats of the illustrious players to have worn the number down the years. 

The first chance to see Hazard in action in his new kit will come when Real Madrid begin their La Liga campaign away to Celta Vigo on August 17.