JUST IN: “A very long time” A former standout player for Reading has announced his retirement.

Danny Drinkwater, a 33-year-old former Reading midfielder, has formally confirmed his retirement from professional football.

The central midfielder played 34 games on loan from Chelsea in 2021–2022, marking the conclusion of his playing career in Berkshire.

Drinkwater, a Manchester United Academy alum, rose to prominence during a six-year tenure at Leicester City.

He joined the Foxes ten years before they won the Championship title, and he left as a Premier League winner when Claudio Ranieri’s team produced the century’s greatest sporting tale by winning the championship.
The England international moved to Chelsea for £35 million, and during his five years at Stamford Bridge, he played 23 times and had four loan stints abroad.

“I’d like to announce my retirement from professional football,” Drinkwater said in an interview with Jake Humphrey for his High-Performance Podcast. Perhaps it has taken a long time to arrive. Now seems like a good time to make the official announcement.”

After leaving Reading more than a year ago, he had not been able to find a new club.