Consequently, what happened? The player went to Chelsea to play a supporting role after winning the Premier League with Leicester City. Due to injuries, he only made 22 appearances and scored one goal during his spell at Stamford Bridge before going on loan to Aston Villa. After a confrontation with teammate Jota on the training field, he fled Villa Park. He went on to play on loan at Burnley, Reading, and Kasimpasa in Turkey. Drinkwater was a frequent player for the latter, appearing in 34 games for the Royals but not being able to get a long-term contract. The player has decided to hang up his boots after spending “in limbo too long” following his release from Chelsea in July of last year.
WHAT THEY SAID: The 33-year-old stated [via The Mirror] during an interview on the High Performance podcast, “I would just like to announce my retirement from professional football.” Though it is undoubtedly been a while coming—especially in light of the past year—I believe the time has come to make the official announcement. Although I did not imagine it would annoy me, speaking it now feels a little like picking at flesh. I believe I was prepared for it because I did not stop at my peak and because it has somewhat subsided, which has made the adjustment easier.
“I feel like I have been in limbo for far too long; I have either wanted to play but have not had the chance to do it at a level that makes me feel important. I just wondered, “Do I just shake hands with the sport because I am restless here for no reason and I am comfortable not playing football?” that was never going to be simple, but that is all I have known and my life since I was six or seven years old. The way it has subsided, in my opinion, has been quite beneficial.
“I think it would be more difficult if I had to stop playing because of an injury or aging while I was playing every week. Many Championship clubs have made offers to me, but I never felt the heat and it did not help.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Drinkwater played a major role in Leicester’s remarkable 2015–16 Premier League title success under Claudio Ranieri, appearing in 35 of the team’s 38 league games. Despite earning the first of his three caps for England in a friendly match against the Netherlands at Wembley in March of that year, he was left out of Roy Hodgson’s squad for the 2016 European Championship.
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