Danny Drinkwater has admitted he was 'relieved' to depart Chelsea at the end of his contract this summer. He went on to divulge his plans for the future and revealed he was once told he was not in the club's plans with an hour remaining in the transfer window.
The former Leicester star was one of five senior Chelsea players to see their deals expire in 2022, and the 32-year-old delivered an apology to supporters for the outcome of his £35 million in 2017. Drinkwater joined the club a year after winning the league with the Foxes when he shared a key partnership with N'Golo Kante.
Drinkwater started his first season with a calf strain but managed to feature 22 times under Antonio Conte, but things quickly unravelled. The midfielder made just one appearance for the Blues following that opening 12 months and saw loan moves to Burnley, Aston Villa, and Kasimpasa fail to bear much fruit before impressing for Reading during 2021/22. It's a period that has left Drinkwater with some anger.
