Drinkwater: Waiting game was killing me but now I want to be involved
DANNY DRINKWATER has had to get used to doing a lot of waiting over the past few months. Now he just wants to make up for lost time.
The England midfielder finally got to make his Chelsea debut last night and started putting one of the toughest periods of his career behind him.
His protracted transfer from Leicester to Chelsea this summer was bad enough, with the two clubs unable to agree a fee until the final hours of the window on August 31. After several weeks of uncertainty, which included Drinkwater handing in a transfer request to force a move, the £35million deal was finally done.
Unfortunately, though, there was no chance for him to make an impact because he soon sustained a calf injury in training. Even for someone as experienced as the 27-year-old, starting a new part of your career on the treatment table is unnerving.
Equally frustrating was that other midfielders at the club — N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Cesc Fabregas — have been absent through injury or suspension at one time or another. Drinkwater could have had a quick opportunity to shine. Instead, coach Antonio Conte had to move defender David Luiz forward to fill the void on a few occasions.
The dream move had actually proved to be anything but — until he walked out to face Everton last night.
“I don’t think [the last few months] could have gone any worse,” Drinkwater admitted to Chelsea TV after the game. “I have been trying to take the positives out of it. My calf feels good now but I was massively frustrated. The waiting game was killing me.
“It’s been good to watch the team and it has helped me to settle in as well. It has given me a feel for how they actually play. But the sooner I can get more involved now, the better for me.”
For someone who has not played a competitive match for nearly six months, Drinkwater should be satisfied with the hour he spent on the pitch. After some careless touches to begin with, his confidence grew and he was able to maintain possession tidily.
No wonder Conte was smiling after the final whistle. With Kante close to a return from a hamstring injury, the Italian’s midfield options will soon be at full strength for the first time this term. “I think he has a lot of room for improvement,” Conte said. “I preferred to give him the opportunity to play from the start because he needs to play, to find the right tempo and rhythm of the game.
“I knew I could risk something by playing him but I think it was very positive for him to start the game and to know that now I can count on him for part of the next games.
“Maybe he will be 100 per cent fit after the international break but we must have patience. We are also recovering N’Golo very well and this is good news for our midfield.”
Next to Drinkwater was 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu, making his first start since a £3m switch from Exeter City.
Conte rates the youngster highly, as is shown by the speed in which he has been promoted into the senior set-up. Against Everton, he was not intimidated — but then he was not nervous about joining a club renowned for not making the most of their young talent, either. When asked if he ever felt he was taking a gamble by moving to Stamford Bridge, Ampadu said: “No. You could think about that but I wanted to think about what I wanted to do as a player. What I’m trying to do is fulfil my dreams.
“I’d like to thank the manager and the players for having the belief in me. But I still have to go out and show that I deserve to be out there.”
He will now hope to get another chance to impress in the Carabao Cup after Chelsea booked their place in the last eight with goals from Antonio Rudiger and Willian.
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