Former Chelsea player announces his retirement from football

Former Chelsea and Leicester City midfielder, Danny Drinkwater has announced his retirement from football due to his lack of interest in the game.

The 33-year-old confirmed this while speaking on a podcast on Monday, October 30, 2023. According to Danny Drinkwater, the announcement has been long overdue coming from last year, although he has received several offers from Championship clubs since he left Chelsea.

"It is probably been a long time coming, especially with the last year, but I think it's time to officially announce it now. I didn't think it would bother me but saying it then it's almost like scratching a nerve a bit. I think I have been ready for it, not stopping at my peak and it's simmered down a bit, that's helped the transition."

He added:

"I think I have been in limbo for too long, I've either been wanting to play but not getting the opportunities to play at a level where I felt valued. I just thought I'm restless here for no reason, I'm happy not playing football, but I'm happy playing football, so do I just shake hands with the sport? It's all I've known, it's been my life since I was six or seven, it was never going to be an easy thing. I think the way it's died down has definitely helped. If I was playing week in, week out and had to stop through injury or age I think it would be trickier. I have had quite a few offers from Championship clubs, but I never felt the burn, it did nothing for me."

The former Leicester City midfielder, who lifted a Premier League title with the Foxes in 2016, has been without a club since he was released by Chelsea in June 2022.