A Premier League winner and ex-England international – Danny Drinkwater retires

Premier League winner Danny Drinkwater has announced his retirement from football.

The 33-year-old midfielder was one of the stars of Leicester’s shock title triumph in 2016, earning a big-money move to Chelsea the following summer.

But he did not manage to establish himself as a first-choice player at Stamford Bridge and unsuccessful loan spells at Burnley and Aston Villa followed along with disciplinary problems.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving after crashing his car in 2019, suffered an ankle injury in an incident outside a nightclub later the same year and head-butted then Villa team-mate Jota on the training ground in March 2020.

Drinkwater’s last appearances came on loan at Reading in 2021-22, following which his contract with Chelsea expired.

Speaking on The High Performance Podcast, he said: “It’s been a long time coming maybe, especially with the last year, but I think it’s time to officially announce it now.

“I think I’ve been in limbo for too long. I’ve been wanting to play but not getting the opportunity to play at a standard or a level where I felt valued. 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, seven years old. It was never going to be an easy thing.

“If I was playing week in, week out and I had to say I’ve got to stop, maybe through injury or through just age, not being able to get about the pitch like I’d like to, I think it would be trickier.”

Drinkwater came through the Manchester United academy but did not make a first-team appearance before joining Leicester in 2012.

He was called up for the first time by England in March 2016 and made three appearances but was one of three