Chelsea Flop, Danny Drinkwater Retires From Football At 33

Danny Drinkwater who flopped at Chelsea after helping Leicester City to win the 2015-2016 Premier League title has announced his retirement from football at 33-year-old.

Danny Drinkwater appeared in 35 of the 38 league games for Leicester City during the 2015–2016 season, contributing significantly to the team’s incredible Premier League title win under coach Claudio Ranieri.

After leading Leicester City to the Premier League title, the former England  international joined Chelsea for a transfer fee worth €37.90 million on August 31, 2017, with high hopes of establishing himself as a prominent European player.

Unfortunately, he only made 22 appearances and scored one goal at Stamford Bridge due to injuries before joining Aston Villa on loan.

He left Villa Park following an altercation on the training field with teammate Jota. He later played on loan at Kasimpasa in Turkey, Burnley, and Reading.

Danny Drinkwater was a consistent player at Reading, making 34 appearances for the Royals before failing to sign a long-term deal with them.

After being released by Chelsea in July 2022, Drinkwater felt that he had been “in limbo too long” and decided to retire from the game.

He announced his retirement from football while speaking on the High-Performance podcast on Monday, October 30.

Danny Drinkwater said: “I’d just like to announce my retirement from professional football. It’s probably been a long time coming, especially with the last year, but I think it’s time to officially announce it now. I didn’t think it would bother me but saying it then it’s almost like scratching a nerve a bit. I think I’ve been ready for it, not stopping at my peak and it’s simmered down a bit, that’s helped the transition.

“I think I’ve been in limbo for too long, I’ve either been wanting to play but not getting the opportunities to play at a level where I felt valued. I just thought I’m restless here for no reason, I’m happy not playing football, but I’m happy playing football, so do I just shake hands with the sport? It’s all I’ve known, it’s been my life since I was six or seven, and it was never going to be an easy thing. I think the way it’s died down has definitely helped.

“If I was playing week in, week out and had to stop through injury or age I think it would be trickier. I’ve had quite a few offers from Championship clubs, but I never felt the burn, it did nothing for me.”