Former Manchester United, Chelsea and Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater has swapped corner kicks for laying bricks. Once a high earner and England international, the 34-year-old’s career has taken an unexpected turn since he hung up his boots in 2022.
Eyebrows were raised when Drinkwater posted a photo on Instagram on Monday. The photo showed him dressed in a bright orange shirt, next to wooden planks and under scaffolding, with the caption: “Today. “
And Drinkwater responded to a fan who sent him a private message that said, “Shit, Danny, hit rock bottom. “Capturing the post, the former Chelsea player wrote: “Some of those posts, behave. I love being out there grafting! It’s a choice. “
Drinkwater never revealed whether the structure was now paying expenses full-time or if it was just a part-time business. He earned £120,000 a week during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Although this era lined Drinkwater’s pockets, he controlled 23 first-team appearances in five years in the Blues’ books, making it one of the worst transfers in Premier League history.
Drinkwater arrived at Chelsea under the weight of great expectations, having commanded a £35million price tag and won the league title with Leicester only two seasons prior.
Failed loans with Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa and Reading on the league side preceded Drinkwater’s departure from Chelsea in 2022. His retirement was officially announced about 18 months later.
“It would have possibly taken a while, especially last year, but I think it’s time to officially announce it now,” Drinkwater told the High Performance Podcast. “I think I’ve been in the dark for too long.
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“I wanted to play but I didn’t have the opportunity to play at a point or point where I felt valued. I’m satisfied not to play football, but I’m satisfied to play football, so I’m just holding my hand” . of sport?
“That’s all I know. It’s been my life since I was six or seven years old. This has never been a simple thing. If I played week after week and I had to say I have to stop, maybe because of an injury or just because age, not being able to move on the field as I would like, I think it would be more complicated.
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