Eden Hazard reunites with Swansea ballboy he infamously kicked… and is now worth over £40MILLION thanks to his vodka empire

Eden Hazard has been reunited with the ball boy he kicked more than a decade ago, who has gone on to become a successful businessman and is worth more than £40million thanks to his vodka empire.

In 2013, Charlie Morgan became a sensation after being involved in an altercation with the Belgian striker during Chelsea’s 2013 League Cup semi-final against Swansea.

The striker appeared to kick the ball boy as emotions flared during their match at the Liberty Stadium. Hazard was subsequently sent off due to the incident.

But it appears the pair have put their past history behind them and have now appeared in a photoshoot to promote Morgan’s alcoholic drinks brand Au Vodka.

Hazard posted several photos to his social media accounts, posing with Morgan while holding a blue drink.

The Belgian was sent off during Chelsea’s EFL Cup semi-final away to Swansea after appearing to kick Morgan

Hazard posted several photos of the pair on his social media accounts as an apparent promotion for Morgan’s alcoholic drinks brand AU Vodka.

He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): ‘The fun of retirement is catching up with old friends. You’ve come a long way in 11 years, my friend @charliem0rgan, @auvodka x @hazardeden10’

Hazard posted several other photos to his Instagram account, showing the two looking at a chessboard with several bottles of AU vodka on it.

They were also seen riding together in a golf buggy around a golf course, with Hazard posting a photo of himself lining up a putt as the former Swansea ball boy watched in the distance.

His former teammate John Terry also commented on the Instagram post with three laughing emojis.

Chelsea had come into the match 2-0 down and tensions were running high at the Liberty Stadium. with Michael Laudrup’s side holding on to seal a 0–0 draw in the second leg of the semi-final and book their place at Wembley.

But as the clock ticked down on the final ten minutes of the match, the Blues remained desperately in pursuit of a goal. The ball appeared to go out of play and Morgan picked it up but did not pass it to Hazard, who was keen to restart the match.

Hazard appeared to hold the ball to take a few seconds out of the match and tried to grab it from him, causing the ball boy, who was 17 at the time, to fall to the ground. Hazard then tried to kick the ball out from under him but appeared to make contact with Morgan, who then held his stomach and felt some discomfort.

Referee Chris Foy gave Hazard his marching orders, making Morgan an overnight sensation.

Since then, the former ball boy from Swansea has become a highly successful businessman, co-founding alcoholic drinks brand AU Vodka with his friend Jackson Quinn in 2016.

Hazard’s former teammate John Terry commented on several ‘smiling face’ emojis on the Instagram post

The pair posed for photos on a golf course as Hazard lined up a putt while Morgan stood in the background watching him play a shot.

Morgan, who is now worth more than £40million, founded AU Vodka in 2016 with Jackson Quinn and

The pair were also pictured driving a gold golf buggy with the brand’s logo printed on the hood

The drink was initially only sold to local bars in Swansea, but the pair have now gone around the world. Production has increased to more than 35,000 units per day, with the brand recognized by its signature gold bottles.

In 2022, he was also named in the Sunday Times Rich List, with AU Vodka endorsed by big-name stars such as Floyd Mayweather and Ronaldinho. It is also supported by radio DJ Charlie Sloth.

Speak with WalesOnline In 2021, Morgan talked about how “crazy” it was to see such big names supporting AU Vodka.

“We got a contact for Floyd – through a mutual friend of Frost, the music producer – and we were told that Floyd absolutely loves the brand and the taste of black grapes,” he said.

‘We were asked if he could have a few bottles before he went home.

“We said yeah, okay, sure, and Floyd said he’d post a picture on Instagram as long as we included him when we do something big in America.

Morgan (left) co-founded Au Vodka with friend Jackson Quinn (right) in 2016 and the company is backed by radio DJ Charlie Sloth

Morgan (right) has built a fortune worth around £40 million since launching Au Vodka

Morgan made headlines in 2013 when he was kicked by Eden Hazard

Hazard, who has now retired from professional football, was sent off after the incident

The drink has been endorsed by the likes of Jake Paul (above) and Floyd Mayweather

“Years ago we asked ourselves who would be the best ambassador to hold the bottle and I think our answer was Floyd, so it’s amazing how it has manifested itself.

“Seeing the brand in the hands of someone you admire is amazing.”

Swansea went on to win the EFL Cup by beating Bradford 5-0 in the final, while Hazard would leave Chelsea for Real Madrid in 2019.

Last year, Hazard announced he would retire from professional football after being sacked by Real Madrid, stating he was looking forward to spending time with his loved ones and ‘gaining new experiences’.