Danny Drinkwater
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Danny Drinkwater | |
| |
| Full Name | Daniel Noel Drinkwater |
| Date of Birth | 5 March 1990 |
| Place of Birth | Manchester, England |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2017 – 2022 |
| Debut | 25 October 2017 |
| Games (goals) | 23 (1) |
| Other clubs | Manchester United Huddersfield Town (loan) Cardiff City (loan) Watford (loan) Barnsley (loan) Leicester City Burnley (loan) Aston Villa (loan) Kasımpaşa (loan) Reading (loan) |
Daniel Noel Drinkwater, commonly known as Danny Drinkwater is an English midfielder who played for Chelsea from 2017 until 2018. Having spent four consecutive seasons on loan, he left the club in 2022.
Contents |
Before Chelsea
Danny Drinkwater began his professional path in Manchester United’s academy but failed to break into the senior team. Seeking playing time, he embarked on successive loans at Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Watford, and Barnsley in the lower divisions. In January 2012, he signed for Leicester City, where he flourished—helping them earn promotion as Championship winners in 2013–14 and playing a pivotal role in Leicester's historic 2015–16 Premier League title-winning campaign.
Chelsea career
Drinkwater joined Chelsea in September 2017 for around £35 million. He made 22 appearances across all competitions in his opening campaign, scoring once in a memorable 5–0 win over Stoke City. Though part of the FA Cup-winning squad, injury ruled him out of the final.
Under Maurizio Sarri, Drinkwater struggled for game time, making just one appearance in the Community Shield and none in the league. He was sidelined from first-team plans amid fierce midfield competition.
Over the next three seasons, Drinkwater moved on loan to Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa (Turkey), and Reading, seeking regular football. None of the spells reignited his form, and he made only 23 first-team appearances for Chelsea before leaving at the end of his contract in 2022. He announced his retirement in October 2023, acknowledging it was time to step away after struggling for playing time.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2017-18 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 |
- Correct as of the end of the 2018-19 season
Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2017-18 | 30 December | 2017 | Premier League | Stoke City | 2-0 | 5-0 | Stamford Bridge |
International
Drinkwater earned three caps for England, debuting in 2016 and even being shortlisted in the provisional squad for Euro 2016. However, he never became a senior international regular.
Honours
- FA Cup: 2017-18
