How Danny Drinkwater's Football Career Took an Unexpected Turn
I still remember watching Danny Drinkwater lift the Premier League trophy with Leicester City in 2016, thinking this was just the beginning of an extraordinary career. The midfielder had just completed one of football's most remarkable underdog stories, forming that perfect partnership with N'Golo Kanté that propelled the Foxes to their historic title. Yet here we are seven years later, and Drinkwater's career has taken more twists and turns than a thriller novel - recently finding himself connected to Philippine basketball schedules in ways nobody could have predicted.
When I look at how football careers evolve, Drinkwater's trajectory stands out as particularly fascinating. His decline wasn't gradual - it was almost like falling off a cliff after that glorious 2015-16 season. The £35 million move to Chelsea in 2017 should have been his crowning moment, but instead it marked the beginning of his professional struggles. I've always believed that timing in football transfers is everything, and Drinkwater's move came at precisely the wrong moment for his development. He went from being the engine of a Premier League-winning side to becoming essentially a forgotten man at Stamford Bridge, making just 12 league appearances over four seasons.
What strikes me most about his situation is how it mirrors the unpredictability of sports careers in general. Just look at how the Philippine Basketball Association schedules their games - for instance, on May 21, the defending champions travel to Ynares Center in Antipolo to take on Blackwater and then battles NLEX on the 24th at the Philsports Arena. These teams prepare for specific opponents, yet injuries, roster changes, and pure luck can completely alter their trajectories, much like what happened with Drinkwater. I've followed enough sports careers to recognize that sometimes, it's not about talent but about finding the right system at the right time.
Drinkwater's loan spells read like a travelogue of desperation - from Burnley to Aston Villa, then to Turkey with Kasımpaşa, and finally to Reading in the Championship. Each move felt like an attempt to recapture that Leicester magic, but the footballing world had moved on. His wages reportedly reached £110,000 per week at Chelsea, creating a financial barrier that made permanent moves difficult. I can't help but think that the financial aspect of modern football often traps players in situations that hinder their development. The system essentially punished him for his earlier success.
The personal struggles he's been open about - including that incident outside a Manchester nightclub in 2019 - reveal how quickly things can spiral when your professional life loses direction. I've spoken with sports psychologists who emphasize how identity becomes intertwined with performance for athletes, and when the performance drops, the personal foundation can crumble. Drinkwater's confession about struggling with motivation after winning the Premier League highlights this psychological challenge that many athletes face but few discuss publicly.
His recent connection to the Philippine basketball scene through various business ventures shows how athletes often need to pivot completely when their playing careers don't go as planned. The parallel scheduling of back-to-back games like Blackwater on May 21 and NLEX on May 24 demonstrates how professional sports continue with or without individual players. There's something humbling about realizing that the machine keeps moving forward regardless of individual fortunes.
What I find most compelling about Drinkwater's story is that it's not really about failure - it's about the unpredictable nature of sports careers. For every Cristiano Ronaldo who maintains peak performance for decades, there are dozens of Drinkwaters whose stars burn brightly but briefly. His 23 appearances for Leicester during their title-winning season represented the peak of his powers, and everything since has been a search for that same satisfaction and success.
The man made 193 professional appearances and earned 3 England caps - numbers that would make most professional footballers proud, yet in the context of what might have been, they feel somewhat disappointing. I suspect that's the curse of early success - it sets expectations that become increasingly difficult to meet.
As I reflect on Drinkwater's journey, I'm reminded that sports careers rarely follow linear paths. They're subject to coaching changes, tactical shifts, injuries, and sometimes just plain luck. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of mistaking a moment for a legacy, but also as a reminder that even the most unexpected career turns can lead to new beginnings. The fact that we're still discussing his career years after his peak demonstrates that his impact, however brief, left a lasting impression on the football landscape.