Hey, Eden. Why did things have to go this way? It’s possible that we both knew this was going to happen, but I don’t think either of us really thought it would. You were the best person in the world that day, after all. And those days came up a lot.

Not just me, but millions of football fans around the world are happy just to see your style, creativity, and skills on the field. I remember when you first joined the club when I was only 11. I was lucky enough to grow up watching greats like Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Didier Drogba score goals, but for many people in my generation, you were the hero. The face on the pictures on our walls, the name on the back of every shirt we bought every season, and our favorite Match Attax card to collect.

I thought Chelsea could never lose when you were on the field. You could always come up with something, like a tricky run, a flawless finish, or a flawless pass. At that age, I couldn’t fully understand how lucky you were to have everything you did. When you had the ball in your hands, you were a true artist. Your performances will live on in team history. Young players and fans have always looked up to you on the field and wanted to be where you were.

But as I’ve grown up and now that I’m writing this, I really understand what football has lost since you retired. I really feel bad for people who never got to see you play in real life and never got to see the magic you always created on the field. People often never really understand time; it’s a beautiful idea that we can’t manage and a very deep, complicated subject that we don’t really get. All of that didn’t matter when you had the ball in your hands, though. You could stop, skip ahead, or go back at any time.

It was a wild ride, from the first penalty against Newcastle in front of the Shed End to the last tap-in against Arsenal in Baku. You pretty much won everything for us, and sometimes it looked like you could do it all by yourself. We know that because of THAT “smash-and-grab” goal against Liverpool.

I’m sure you remember it well, but the goal against Arsenal will always be the one that best matches how great you are as a player. I know a lot of us do. Thursday, February 4, 2017. After getting the ball in your own half, you did a great single move that threw Francis Coquelin onto his backside. This let you show off Laurent Koscielny and Petr Cech with a cheeky dink over them, which led to one of the best knee slides the Bridge has ever seen.