Former England midfielder Danny Drinkwater retires from football.
Drinkwater, now 33, helped Leicester City win the Premier League in 2016 and joined Chelsea for £35m a year later.
According to the BBC, Drinkwater said there had been no opportunities at a level that might tempt him back into action.
He left Stamford Bridge when his contract expired in June 2022, having made little impact, and has not played since.
“I think I’ve been in limbo for too long,” said Drinkwater, who started his career at Manchester United.
“I didn’t think it would bother me, but saying it then it’s almost like scratching a nerve a bit. I think I’ve been ready for it, not stopping at my peak, and it’s simmered down a bit. that’s helped the transition.
“I think I’ve 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 were playing week in and week out and had to stop through injury or age, I think it would be trickier. I’ve had quite a few offers from championship clubs, but I never felt the burn; it did nothing for me.”
Drinkwater came through the academy at Manchester United but didn’t make a senior appearance for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side amid loan spells to Huddersfield, Cardiff, Watford, and Barnsley, but his career took off when he signed for Leicester in 2012, helping them win promotion into the Premier League in 2014.
Drinkwater played a prominent part in Leicester’s miraculous Premier League title success under Claudio Ranieri in 2015-16, featuring in 35 of their 38 league games.
In March 2016, he won the first of three England caps in a friendly match against the Netherlands at Wembley but didn’t make Roy Hodgson’s squad for that year’s European Championship.
He played one more season at Leicester before Chelsea signed him for £35 million. However, he was never to play a prominent part there; his cause was not helped by injuries. He left Stamford Bridge upon the expiration of his Chelsea contract in June 2022.
Earlier this year, Drinkwater said he would be interested in a move to Saudi Arabia or rejoining Leicester following their relegation to the Championship, but Drinkwater has now decided to call time on his career.
