Danny Drinkwater

Back in 2017, Drinkwater secured a dream move to Stamford Bridge after Chelsea forked out £35m to sign the Premier League winner from Leicester. But the ...

He is my priority'. So I decided to stay until January." "I was like, 'Why are you telling me now? On the pitch, we were like chalk and cheese. I need time'. "Sarri and I got on like a house on fire off the pitch. "It got to the last hour of the transfer window and [I] got pulled into the office, not expected at all," said Drinkwater.

The latest Leicester City news as the title-winning midfielder opens up about his five-year spell at Stamford Bridge after swapping City for Chelsea.

"It's a weird time for football, especially when you're free to the market. The midfielder spent last season on loan with Championship side Reading, where he played a total of 34 times as he looked to get his career back on track. I don’t think a lot of people expected the move to happen for that amount of money. That's why I went on loan, why I went to Aston Villa and Burnley on loan, which didn't work, and going to Turkey at the age of 30 - I never thought I'd do that. It brings to an end what has been a difficult time for the player. His time at Chelsea saw Drinkwater play a total of 23 times for the club over five years.

Drinkwater signed for Chelsea for £35 million in 2017, not long after playing a crucial role in helping Leicester City win the Premier League. He never really ...

He also spoke about how much he was suffering with mental health issues in 2019, explaining: “Nan passed, grandad passed, dad got diagnosed with Leukaemia, I lost my dog and was drink driving, which is just not me. “Sarri and I got on like a house on fire off the pitch. “‘I don’t think you’re going to be in our plans’. This is (Maurizio) Sarri, being translated by Gianfranco (Zola). And I was like ‘what?’

Danny Drinkwater has opened up on his nightmare spell at Chelsea, which saw him admit that he wasted some of the best years of his career.

'"Don't think you're going to be in our plans". And I was like "what?" "And as a person, if you're not open enough to speak to the right people, it chews away at you. I need to get this figured out'. So I decided to stay until January." "Me and Sarri got on like a house on fire off the pitch. You couldn't chalk and cheese it from on the pitch, off the pitch. It was mad but at the same time good. I think it was a long time coming." You figure out you're not involved in games, only training, so I could go out with the lads, I'm single, it's great, I can do all this. I was loving it, but in the background, there's always things that burn away. "Can I help myself going forward? As I've tried doing them, something's gone wrong." I still kick myself for it.

Danny Drinkwater is now a free agent after his five-year spell with Chelsea came to an end and the midfielder opened up about his mental health struggles ...

The last part of last season, it was good. I felt like I wasn't really benefitting the team…and I was like 'Wow, has it gone? Over half a decade, Drinkwater played just 23 games for the club and scored just one goal.

Former Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater spent five years at Chelsea but left on loan four times after making only 23 first-team appearances for the Blues ...

“The press have leaked that I’ve been done for drink driving and been beat up in a nightclub, everyone thinks I’m a big drinker. “I enjoy a drink as much as everyone else, I’m not a sit at home, drink a bottle of six every night, wake up in the morning in a rut. While out of Chelsea ’s first-team and still on the club’s books, Drinkwater had a number of incidents that put him in the media spotlight, including being charged for drink driving in April 2019. "I was [suffering with mental health issues in 2019]. Nan passed, grandad passed, dad got diagnosed with Leukaemia, I lost my dog and was drink driving, which is just not me. I was always like 'I'm a big strong bloke, I can deal with this'. Having been frozen out after just one season at the club, Drinkwater left Chelsea on loan four times for spells with Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa and Reading prior to his departure, now making him a free agent.

The former Chelsea and Leicester midfielder revealed all in an interview about his time with the Blues.

I'm trying to think of the timing of that, I didn't go out drinking, and everybody thinks I'm a big drinker. While his time at Chelsea has come to an end, Drinkwater has no intentions of calling time on his career and has already seen a number of offers. Drinkwater added: No chance (of retiring). Yeah (looking for a club). There are a few offers flying about like it's a weird time for footballers, especially in the window because you had COVID you took a hit worldwide, not just in football, and it's picking itself up now. But in the background, there's always things that burn away, and as a person, if you're not open enough to speak about to the right type of people about stuff, it chews up at you. I didn't think I was depressed, but I knew if I didn't speak to somebody, it could only go that way because I was just fighting and fighting and fighting, and it wasn't helping me or anybody Honestly, you couldn't chalk and cheese it from on the pitch to off the pitch - it was mad. Accusations that he would be happy to train and retain his salary, but it's clear the Manchester United product found it to be a difficult period, even with the extra freedom his position allowed. He has acknowledged it was a difficult time for his mental health. I had quite a lot of expectations because I don't think a lot of people expected the move to happen for that much money or whatever. I moved with this big fee to a big club. The former Leicester star was one of five senior Chelsea players to see their deals expire in 2022, and the 32-year-old delivered an apology to supporters for the outcome of his £35 million in 2017. Danny Drinkwater has admitted he was 'relieved' to depart Chelsea at the end of his contract this summer.

Former Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater spent five years at Chelsea but left on loan four times after making only 23 first-team appearances for the Blues ...

“The press have leaked that I’ve been done for drink driving and been beat up in a nightclub, everyone thinks I’m a big drinker. “I enjoy a drink as much as everyone else, I’m not a sit at home, drink a bottle of six every night, wake up in the morning in a rut. While out of Chelsea ’s first-team and still on the club’s books, Drinkwater had a number of incidents that put him in the media spotlight, including being charged for drink driving in April 2019. "I was [suffering with mental health issues in 2019]. Nan passed, grandad passed, dad got diagnosed with Leukaemia, I lost my dog and was drink driving, which is just not me. I was always like 'I'm a big strong bloke, I can deal with this'. Having been frozen out after just one season at the club, Drinkwater left Chelsea on loan four times for spells with Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa and Reading prior to his departure, now making him a free agent.

Former Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater has opened up on his five-year spell at Stamford Bridge and how Maurizio Sarri told him to leave the club with ...

On the pitch, we were like chalk and cheese. "Sarri and I got on like a house on fire off the pitch. Drinkwater, who joined Chelsea from Leicester for £35million in 2017, is a free agent after his time at Stamford Bridge officially concluded at the end of last month.

Danny Drinkwater says that while he is angry about how his time at Chelsea went, he doesn't 'think it's anybody's fault.'

I didn’t think I was depressed, but I saw the sports psychologist and if I hadn’t, I definitely think it could’ve gone that way.’ I was also fighting for my son, which was going on constantly and takes its toll. ‘[In 2019] Nan passed, grandad passed, dad got diagnosed with Leukaemia, I lost my dog and was drink driving, which is just not me. But on the other side, am I going to keep kicking myself, because I can’t change it. On the pitch, we were like chalk and cheese. ‘Sarri and I got on like a house on fire off the pitch.

Danny Drinkwater has opened up on his difficult spell at the club since arriving from Leicester back in 2017. The midfielder is now a free agent.

I had quite a lot of expectations, fairly because I don't think a lot of people expected the move to happen for that much money or whatever opinions and that so. I was a bit like thinking 'Wow is this what it has come to?' like a felt almost a bit lost. You know, there was a little niggle maybe two weeks in where I had to have like a week off with an injury but other than that it was pretty much all good. I'm not bitter about it because you can look back and have what ifs and hindsight is huge but I think it was just a long time coming I think. Since then, the three-time England international has been loaned out to a number of different clubs. Danny Drinkwater joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £35 million.

Former England international Danny Drinkwater has lifted the lid on his troubled five-year spell with Chelsea after making just 23 appearances during his ...

He is my priority'. So I decided to stay until January." "'Don't think you're going to be in our plans'. This is Sarri, being translated by Gianfranco. And I was like 'what?' The former England international endured a torrid five-year spell with the Blues after signing from Leicester City for £34million on deadline day in August 2017.