ANGRY DAN: I’VE WASTED FIVE YEARS
DANNY DRINKWATER is targeting a fresh start after his nightmare five years at Chelsea.
The 32-year-old was a key man in Leicester’s fairytale title-winning team during the 2015-16 season.
But after sealing a handsome £35million move to Chelsea two years later, it all went downhill.
The former England midfielder made just 23 appearances for the Blues, scoring once.
He has now opened up on the difficulties he faced – less than a month after finally being released – including his drink-driving conviction and a number of deaths in his family.
Drinkwater said: “I’m relieved, because it’s clear it wasn’t a situation that was good for me or the club.
“I’m angry because of how it’s gone and how I was treated – I’m not bitter about it.
“You can look back and say, ‘What ifs’, and have hindsight, which is obviously huge. I think it was a long time coming.”
Drinkwater (below) spent loan spells away from Stamford Bridge with Burnley and Aston Villa, in Turkey with Kasimpasa and in the Championship last season with Reading.
Asked whether he’d wasted the best years of his career, he added: “Yeah, it feels like, ‘What... have you thrown those five years away? If you’d stayed at Leicester, if you didn’t get injured and if the club treated you differently’.
“They’re all ifs. It’s frustrating, 100 percent.
“Don’t think I’m still not burning about how it’s gone. I still kick myself for it. But on the other side, am I going to keep kicking myself, because I can’t change it? Can I help myself going forward?
“That’s why I went to Villa and Burnley on loan, which didn’t work, and going to Turkey at the age of 30 – I never thought I’d do that. It’s also why I dropped down to the Championship with Reading.
“I’ve been trying to do the right things.
“As I’ve tried doing them, something’s gone wrong.”