"I just want to play": Drinkwater

Daniel Drinkwater, who lifted the Premier League trophy with Leicester in 2016, is going through a difficult time. His superb performances for the Foxes prompted Chelsea to turn their attention to the midfielder.

The Blues paid 40 million euros for his transfer but the midfielder did not live up to expectations and failed to adapt to Chelsea.

As a result, he had loan spells at Burnley (2019/20), Aston Villa (2020), Kasimpasa (2021) and Reading (2021/22). He left Stamford Bridge as a free agent on 1st July 2022 and has not yet been able to find a new destination.

"I actually remember thinking, 'What's happened to me? Have I fizzled out that much; to the point where a bigger team isn’t going to take me on a free?' I always wanted to be a free agent at this age but now it's come around... things are different," he told 'SPORTbible'.

"Towards the end of my time there [on loan at Reading], when I started picking up fitness, I thought, 'I actually feel alright here. I'm starting to really help the team. I thought I'd done enough for a bigger club to come along and take a sniff. I thought someone might give me a shot to prove myself but it didn't happen.

"I've also spent more time with my family than ever before. I've absolutely loved being with my kids. I want to be excited about a project. I'm just waiting for something to excite me. I need that burning feeling again. I'm sat here, twiddling my thumbs. I'm just buzzing to get involved again," he concluded.

 

July 2, 2023