Real outcast Hazard ‘caught in a spiral’

Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard says he is "caught in a spiral” and only game time with the European champions can lift him out of it. The 32-year-old has not played a minute for Madrid in La Liga or the Champions League since the World Cup however.Signed from Chelsea in a blockbuster deal in 2019, he has a year left on his contract. "The only thing that can lift me out of this spiral is game time and even then I know I won’t be scoring five goals in my first game. "I don’t speak with the coach,” the player conceded of his relations with Carlo Ancelotti when interviewed on Belgian television. "I want to stay here and prove I can still play football, which some people doubt.”Hazard said he wanted to stay at Real and would not leave in the next transfer window even if some of his teammates were advising him to move on. "I’m not asking for a full game, I just want to feel useful,” said Hazard, who stepped down from international football with Belgium after the World Cup.Ramsey named Wales captain after Bale retirementAaron Ramsey was named as the new Wales captain following the retirement of Gareth Bale, as the team prepare for their opening Euro 2024 qualifiers. The 32-year-old, who has won 78 caps, will lead his country for the first time in matches against Croatia and Latvia later this month. Former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder Ramsey, who is currently at French side Nice, will spearhead a youthful 24-man squad named by Wales manager Rob Page. Bale announced his retirement in January after winning a record 111 caps for Wales’ men’s team.Ramsey has done the job before, having been appointed captain at the age of 20 by the late Gary Speed in March 2011.Speed’s successor, Chris Coleman, gave the armband to Ashley Williams the following year. As well as the departure of Wales’ record-scorer Bale, Chris Gunter, Joe Allen and Jonny Williams have also retired from the international scene since the team’s disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar, where they scored just once and finished bottom of their group.Page has named four uncapped players in his squad for the trip to World Cup semi-finalists Croatia on March 25 and the home game with Latvia three days later.Midfielders Jordan James and Ollie Cooper both feature, along with Fulham youngster Luke Harris and Ipswich forward Nathan Broadhead.