• Drinkwater retires from football
• Won Premier League with Leicester City
• Plagued with injuries since leaving

WHAT HAPPENED? After winning the Pr

emier League title with Leicester City, the player moved to Chelsea, where he played a supporting role. His time at Stamford Bridge was hindered by injuries, he only made 22 appearances and scored one goal before joining Aston Villa on loan. He left Villa Park following an altercation with teammate Jota on the training pitch. Subsequent loan stints were had at Burnley, Reading, and the Turkish team Kasimpasa. Drinkwater played regularly for the latter, making 34 appearances for the Royals but failing to get a long-term deal. Having been “in limbo too long” since his release from Chelsea in July of last year, the player has opted to hang up his boots.

WHAT THEY SAID?: Speaking on the High Performance podcast, the now 33-year-old said [via The Mirror]: “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, 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.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Drinkwater appeared in 35 of Leicester’s 38 league games, contributing significantly to their incredible 2015–16 Premier League title triumph under Claudio Ranieri. He was left out of Roy Hodgson’s team for the 2016 European Championship, despite winning the first of his three caps for England in a friendly match against the Netherlands at Wembley in March of that year.

IN A PHOTO:

WHAT NEXT? Drinkwater has not revealed his plans post retirement but the Englishman revealed that he also approached Leicester earlier for a return.