Danny Drinkwater opens up on 2019 arrest for drink-driving and reveals he would ‘get with any bird I could’ on boozy nights out in London during troubled spell at Chelsea… as he announces retirement aged 33

Premier League winner Danny Drinkwater has opened up about seeking help following his 2019 drink-driving car crash and his party lifestyle while at Chelsea after confirming his retirement.

The former England midfielder, 33, called time on a club career that peaked when he helped Leicester win the league in 2016 but has seen him without a side since last summer.

He joined Chelsea in 2017 for £35million in a five-year deal, which was chequered by off-field issues. In April 2019, he smashed his £125,000 Range Rover into a wall while over the limit, injuring two passengers and earning him a 20-month driving ban.

He told The High Performance Podcast: ‘That was a massive wake-up sign for me. I was in the cell for 23 hours sobering up and I’m in this cell thinking, “What the f*** are you doing mate”.

‘That’s when I started seeking outside help with it all.’

He also used boozy nights out to find solace. ‘I was trying to enjoy that side of life as a kind of cover for everything else,’ he said.

Drinkwater’s drink-driving arrest was part of the infamous ‘Wagatha Christie’ trial between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy. 

Vardy told her agent Caroline Watt she ‘wanted paying’ for information about Drinkwater leaving police custody. She claimed during the trial that it was because she was ‘deeply affected’ by drink-driving after her ex-husband ‘killed two people’.

Rebekah sent a message to Ms Watt to tell her that Drinkwater had been arrested, the court heard.

‘Danny Drinkwater arrested… Crashed his car drunk with 2 girls in it … both in hospital one with broken ribs,’ court documents show.

Rebekah also said: ‘I want paying for this.’

Drinkwater also admitted his off-field activities, such as boozy nights out in London, affected his performances on the pitch.

‘I was a single lad in London at the time so I was, without giving too much detail away, I was being a single lad in London, getting stuck into living in the city,’ Drinkwater said.

‘I was trying to enjoy that side of life as a kind of cover for everything else. That’s what I’d use to enjoy myself because everything else is going pretty s****y.

‘You look back now and I’d be going out drinking, getting with any bird that I can. It was just mad.

‘You’re waking up with a hangover and it’s like f***, last night’s happiness has disappeared and it’s back to reality.’ 

‘It was just not me as a focused footballer.’

Announcing his retirement, Drinkwater said: ‘It’s probably been a long time coming, especially with the last year, but I think it’s time to officially announce it now.

‘I didn’t think it would bother me but saying it then it’s almost like scratching a nerve a bit.

‘I think I’ve been ready for it, not stopping at my peak and it’s simmered down a bit, that’s helped the transition.

‘I think I’ve been in limbo for too long, I’ve either been wanting to play but not getting the opportunities to play at a level where I felt valued.

‘I just thought I’m restless here for no reason, I’m happy not playing football, but I’m happy playing football, so do I just shake hands with the sport?

‘It’s all I’ve known, it’s been my life since I was six or seven, it was never going to be an easy thing.

‘I think the way it’s died down has definitely helped. If I was playing week in, week out and had to stop through injury or age I think it would be trickier.

‘I’ve had quite a few offers from Championship clubs, but I never felt the burn, it did nothing for me.’