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.

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.

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.

“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’.