What Happened to Danny Drinkwater's Football Career After Chelsea?

I still remember watching Danny Drinkwater lift the Premier League trophy with Leicester City in 2016, that incredible underdog story that captured global attention. As someone who's followed English football for over two decades, I've rarely seen a career trajectory quite as dramatic as Drinkwater's - from title-winning midfielder to virtual obscurity within just a few years. His £35 million move to Chelsea in 2017 should have been the pinnacle of his career, but instead marked the beginning of a startling decline that saw him play just 23 appearances for the Blues across all competitions before essentially disappearing from top-level football.

What strikes me most about Drinkwater's situation is how quickly things unraveled. After that dream 2015-16 season where he started every single Premier League match for Leicester, forming that incredible partnership with N'Golo Kanté, he seemed destined for England's national team and years of success at the highest level. But football can be brutally unforgiving, and his career serves as a cautionary tale about how quickly things can change in this sport. I've spoken with several scouts and coaches who believed Drinkwater possessed the technical ability to succeed at Chelsea, but the timing of his move, the managerial changes, and perhaps his own adaptability issues created a perfect storm that derailed his career.

The loan spells that followed his Chelsea stagnation tell their own story - unsuccessful periods at Burnley, Aston Villa, and Turkish side Kasımpaşa where he managed just 15 combined appearances. What many fans might not realize is that during this period, Drinkwater was reportedly earning around £110,000 per week while barely featuring for any team. This kind of situation creates what I call "career limbo" - too expensive for most clubs to buy, yet not performing well enough to justify the wages for loan deals. It's a trap that has ended many promising careers prematurely.

Interestingly, while researching this piece, I came across a scheduling coincidence that highlights the relentless nature of professional sports. On May 21, the defending champions travel to Ynares Center in Antipolo to take on Blackwater and then battles NLEX on the 24th at the Philsports Arena. This isn't football, of course - it's the PBA in the Philippines - but it struck me how sports calendars continue turning regardless of individual careers. While teams prepare for these crucial matches, players like Drinkwater find themselves without a club, watching from the sidelines as the sports world moves forward without them.

I've always believed that Drinkwater's particular skillset required the right system and consistent playing time to be effective. His best attributes - that excellent range of passing, intelligent positioning, and ability to dictate tempo - needed regular football to shine. At Leicester, he completed 82% of his passes and created 35 chances during their title-winning season, numbers that justified Chelsea's interest. But modern football has little patience for players who need specific conditions to perform, especially at top clubs where competition is fierce and managers have limited time to prove themselves.

There's a personal dimension to this that often gets overlooked in analysis. From what I've gathered through various sources, Drinkwater struggled with the mental aspect of his decline. The confidence that defined his Leicester performances seemed to evaporate during those difficult early months at Chelsea. Having interviewed numerous players who've experienced similar drops in form, I can attest how difficult it is to recover when doubt creeps in. The pressure at clubs like Chelsea is immense, and some players simply aren't equipped to handle it, regardless of their technical ability.

What fascinates me about cases like Drinkwater's is how they reflect broader issues in modern football. The transfer market has become so inflated that clubs regularly make expensive mistakes on players who excelled in specific systems but lack the versatility for top-level competition. Chelsea paid £35 million for a player who essentially became redundant within months of his arrival. In my opinion, this speaks to poor recruitment strategy rather than just individual failure. The club's notorious managerial instability during this period certainly didn't help - Drinkwater worked under four different managers in his first eighteen months at Stamford Bridge.

Looking at where Drinkwater is now, without a club since his contract with Chelsea expired in 2022, I can't help but wonder about the roads not taken. What if he'd stayed at Leicester longer? What if he'd joined a different club where he might have been a better fit? These are the questions that haunt many careers in football. At 33, his chances of returning to top-level football seem slim, though I wouldn't completely rule out a comeback in the Championship or abroad if he can recover his motivation.

The legacy of Danny Drinkwater serves as an important reminder that success in football depends on far more than just talent. Timing, fit, mentality, and plain luck all play crucial roles in determining how careers unfold. While we watch new talents emerge and established stars continue their journeys, it's worth remembering those like Drinkwater who briefly shone brightly before fading from view. His story, though ultimately disappointing, contains valuable lessons for players, clubs, and fans about the unpredictable nature of this beautiful game we all love.