What happened to Danny Drinkwater after his Chelsea move and where is he now?

DANNY Drinkwater is a Premier League and FA cup winner who won three caps for England.

Since a move to Chelsea in 2017, his career has suffered due to injuries and lack of game time. This is what we know.

What happened to Danny Drinkwater?

A Manchester United youth team player, Drinkwater never made a first team appearance for the club, being loaned to Huddersfield, Cardiff, Watford and Barnsley.

In January 2012, he joined Leicester City. He helped the Foxes win the Championship in 2014 with 102 points, including 31 wins from their 46 games.

Alongside N'Golo Kante in midfield, Drinkwater was a key part of the Leicester team that defied all odds by winning the 2015/16 Premier League title.

Drinkwater scored two league goals, including a stunning equalizer against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, as Leicester won their first ever top division title.

After Kante left for Chelsea in the summer of 2016, the team struggled for form, eventually finishing 14th after the sacking of Claudio Ranieri.

They did however reach the Champions League Quarter-finals though, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Atletico Madrid.

Drinkwater joined Chelsea in 2017, ending a four-and-a-half year spell with Leicester.

He was reunited with his former teammate Kante, but only made 12 league appearances for the London side, scoring once, a dipping volley against Stoke City in a 5-0 win in December of that year.

The 2018/19 season saw Drinkwater make just one appearance, as then-manager Maurizio Sarri told him to find a new club.

He didn't move immediately in order to stay with his son, but he finally left the Blues on loan in August 2019, signing for Burnley.

An unsuccessful time at Turf Moor was followed by an equally dismal temporary spell at Aston Villa.

He joined Turkish side Kasimpasa on another loan deal in 2021, making 11 appearances, before recapturing some form at Championship side Reading in the 2021/22 season.

Drinkwater made 33 appearances for the Royals, scoring once.

Where is Danny Drinkwater now?

After the end of his loan spell at Reading, his Chelsea contract that he had signed in 2018 also expired.

Drinkwater was reportedly on £110,000 a week at Stamford Bridge, but only ever made 22 appearances in all competitions.

He is currently without a club.

What has Danny Drinkwater said about his career?

Drinkwater expressed regret at his move to Chelsea in an interview with Sky Sports in 2022.

He said he felt he had "Wasted what could have been his best years as a footballer" and was also critical of his treatment by former Chelsea boss Sarri.

He told how a meeting with the Italian in 2018 led to him being told he was surplus to requirements, an hour before the end of the transfer window.