Premier League winner Danny Drinkwater retires from football at the age of 33. The former England, Leicester and Chelsea midfielder said he was “in limbo for too long” after leaving Stamford Bridge last year

Former England midfielder Danny Drinkwater has announced his retirement from professional football.

The Premier League title winner with Leicester City later moved to Chelsea but only played a supporting role there and has decided to hang up his boots as he was “in limbo for too long” following his release from there in July last year. was.

That’s what the 33-year-old said High performance podcast: “I just want to announce my retirement from professional football.”

“It’s probably been a long time coming, especially over the last year, but I think now is the time to officially announce it.”

“I didn’t think it would bother me, but saying it is almost like scratching a nerve a little.”

Danny Drinkwater, who won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2016, has retired

Drinkwater moved to Chelsea in 2017 but struggled to make an impact due to injury problems

“I think I was prepared for it, I didn’t stop at my peak and it slowed down a bit, so that made the transition easier.”

“I think I was in limbo for too long. Either I wanted to play but wasn’t given the opportunity to play at a level where I felt valued.”

“I just thought I was uneasy here for no reason. I’m happy not playing football, but I’m happy playing football. So do I just shake hands with sports?”

“It’s all I knew, it’s been my life since I was six or seven, it was never going to be easy.”

“I think the way it died down definitely helped. “If I was playing week in, week out and had to stop due to injury or age, I think it would be more difficult.

“I’ve had a few offers from Championship clubs but I never felt the burn, it didn’t do anything for me.”

Drinkwater completed the academy at Manchester United, but did not play for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team due to loan spells at Huddersfield, Cardiff, Watford and Barnsley.

But his career took off when he signed for Leicester in 2012 and helped them gain promotion to the Premier League in 2014.

Drinkwater’s last loan spell from Chelsea was with Reading in the Championship in 2021-22

Drinkwater won three caps for England in 2016 – his debut came against the Netherlands

Drinkwater played a prominent role in Leicester’s miraculous Premier League title triumph under Claudio Ranieri in the 2015/16 season, appearing in 35 of their 38 league games.

In March 2016, he won the first of three caps for England in a friendly against the Netherlands at Wembley Stadium, but did not make Roy Hodgson’s squad for that year’s European Championships.

He played one more season at Leicester before Chelsea signed him for £35 million. However, he was never to play a prominent role there as his cause was not helped by injuries.

After making 22 appearances in his debut season at Stamford Bridge, Drinkwater was loaned out on several occasions to Burnley, Aston Villa, Turkish club Kasimpasa and Reading in the Championship.

Drinkwater celebrates with Jamie Vardy after Leicester’s incredible league title win in 2016

He left Stamford Bridge when his Chelsea contract expired in June 2022.

Earlier this year, Drinkwater said he was interested in a move to Saudi Arabia – or a return to Leicester following relegation to the Championship.

Recent Instagram posts showed him training in the Dubai heat to maintain his fitness and potentially find a new club – but Drinkwater has now decided to end his career.