Danny Drinkwater defends decision to work on building sites after falling out of love with football

Danny Drinkwater defends his decision to work on building sites month on after admitting he was falling out of love with football.

It seems the 34 year old Premier League winner, has traded in his boots for a hard hat after retiring from football and since taken up working on a construction site.

He posted a picture of himself this week, doing his new job, saying in one of his Instagram stories, “On site today,” with the photo of him standing beside some scaffolding.

His career choice bizarrely led to a mixed reaction it seems, and Drinkwater felt the need to respond back to it, with one message reading: “F***ing hell Danny you’ve hit rock bottom”, to which he responded back: “Some of these messages, behave. I love being on site grafting! It’s a choice.”

danny drinkwater’s instagram 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/FxzUnX58Pg

— Ryan (@LestahRaz) July 22, 2024

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Eight months ago, he appeared on the High Performance YouTube channel, reflected on his career, finding it tough making the call to end it and struggling with his mental health.

In this interview, which is well worth a watch, he talks the emotional rollercoaster of winning the Premier League, as well as the painful moment his Euro’s opportunity was taken away. Having worked with legendary figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson and Claudio Ranieri, Danny reflects on how they inspired and challenged him, both in his career and personal life.

Danny delves into what he believes makes a great football manager, emphasising the significance of personal management to bring out the best in players and build team momentum. They also discuss Danny’s difficult reality with mental health struggles, including dealing with rejection after new offers failed to materialise. Reflecting on his lowest point when he was arrested for drink-driving in 2019, Danny highlights the importance of mental health care and finding practical solutions to unhappiness.

This is a conversation about personal growth, overcoming the darkest moments and moving to a brighter future.

0:47 – Start
6:40 – Ronaldo & Sir Alex
11:16 – Leicester
16:24 – Ranieri
22:57 – England
32:07 – Joining Chelsea
38:44 – Proving people wrong
43:46 – My NDA
46:11 – Me vs Chelsea
50:36 – Off the field problems
57:19 – Mental health
1:02:29 – Burnley & Dyche
1:08:08 – Headbutting teammate
1:17:04 – Reflections

Danny: “Football is controlled by transfer windows, so as soon as this one went I had another four or five months until January so it was like just on with it and then that window come and I was like you know I didn’t have a schedule with my son at the time it was still all over the place with you know custody kind of thing but I was still not willing to to go to then mess that up even more because that was my priority so you know it was I think it was taken out my hands I didn’t have there’s nothing really that I could have done better at that stage

Jake Humphrey: What do you reflect on as the lowest point?

Danny: I’d probably say that season yeah

Jake: Not a specific moment or anything?

Danny: I wouldn’t say I just think the whole season was just tough it was so hard because then you know I’ve got things happening off the pitch and then things are not happening how I’d like to on the pitch and you know we talk about we said about balance again like if you’re getting if shit hits the fan off the pitch but it’s going good on the pitch it’s almost like that you can kind of juggle it a bit whereas if both are like all over the place you you just don’t know how to like react to anything it was it was a strange position

Damian: And what came first was it the off the field problems you think precipitated what went on on it or was it the other way around

Danny: I don’t think it was one or the other I just think I just think at the time you know like that was the club’s decision and the manager decision and then this is kind of happening and it just kind of all like fitted in where I just didn’t know really how to how to manage myself

Damian: Because we had a conversation with Jordan Henderson who spoke about again almost lacking the tools to be able to handle some of the professional challenges who was coming home and he almost wouldn’t open up to his wife and that created issues that he eventually managed to resolve and I’m interested in what this professional situation was doing for you going home and dealing with some of the challenges you were facing

Danny: I mean I was a single lad in London at the time so I was you know without going too much detail away it I was like I was being a single lad in London I was getting stuck into living in the city I was I was trying to I was trying to enjoy that side of life as a kind of as a kind of cover for everything else basically you know that’s what I’d used to kind of enjoy myself because everything else was going pretty shitty, you know you look back now when it was you know I’d be going out drinking I’d be you know single like I said so I’d be getting old like any bird I kind of can and it was just mad it was it was just not it was just not me as a focused footballer do you know what I mean

Jake: People will look at this and go you’re earning huge money a huge football club you don’t even have to go to work you can just be your own guy you’re in the capital of England and you’re single you must have been having a great time what is the reality?

Danny: I mean it does sound great to be fair sounds great but when but when everything’s not going right and you’ve got that, that is irrelevant, it’s secondary like earning the wage is absolutely pointless it doesn’t mean a thing I think anyone I think anyone thinking earning a good amount of money is going to solve all your problems, is just it’s just not true at all, you know and then you’ve got like ‘you playing for Chelsea you’re earning all that money’ like you said you know but like no like I’m not playing for Chelsea yeah I’m earning money kind of thing but I’m not playing I’m not I’m not earning it how I want to earn it for me it’s a kicking the bollocks really and then you get you get that side of it where you know you’re waking up with like a hangover and it’s like fuck kind of last night’s you know happiness is kind of disappeared and stuff and it’s back to reality and then you go like right I’ve got to go into training now and not kind of train so I’m not getting like that enjoyment out of work I mean I’m trying to put it into perspective for people so I mean imagine like you know you’re going let you’re going to an office job maybe and you go into the office and it’s not a place where you want to be because the people you’re working with, not working with, working for,

Damian: Don’t want you

Danny: Don’t want you exactly, they don’t want you but you’re going in there you’re putting on a brave face and you’re trying to make the best of it

Jake: How unhappy were you?

Danny: Yeah I was unhappy man yeah yeah I mean I listen I loved certain parts of it like outside of football I loved it but as soon as as soon as I was in the car on the way in I was like fuck

Jake: But we always have high agency right over our lives we always can decide how we react to certain situations you know no one else was making you go out and drink and have a great time and everything else right so why were you not able to just press stop on this and go right the best thing for me is to still be as professional as possible

Danny: I mean I’d like to think I was to be honest like I know you know I was drinking and doing all that stuff that we’ve discussed but I’d still go into training and I’d make sure I was as good as I could be for the lads, that was my only way I could be professional around the place it wasn’t you know and they go on and win the Europa League that year and I’d like to think you know me being a bit of a clown around the place in the day kind of help them

Jake: You were arrested and charged with driving

Danny: No there was times where

Jake: That’s not taking control of your life

Danny: No I accountability is massive for me I mean that was a massive wake up sign for me like massive cuz I remember I was in the I was in the cell for I think it was 23 hours I was in it and you know they usually take two or three hours on things I think uh and I was in there and I was obviously like I’m sobering up and I’m in this cell and I’m thinking what the fuck are you doing mate this is not you at all, it’s not you as a person it’s not how you want to be as a person like you need to you need to get old of yourself here you know and then that’s when I started seeking outside kind of outside help with it all so I was then speaking to like you know psychologists and stuff saying listen like something’s not right here this isn’t me like I need kind of some direction some something some other Focus to improve myself again

Damian: And what was a advice coming back to you from these experts

Danny: Do you know one thing that’s always stuck in head what they’ve uh what they said was they say they say about spinning plates I mean it’s quite I think it’s quite a well-known thing now but you know if you’re trying to spin so many plates there’s only so many kind of like plates you can spin at once and I was trying to spin so many at one time it was just getting way too much so then I think you know slowly like things started to like come together a bit and then I kind of got a bit everything got a bit lighter you know so I wasn’t I wasn’t going out drinking as much I’d go out when I want to go out you know I wasn’t doing maybe as rush things as what I was doing in the first six months

Jake: Would you mind sharing with us because I think is so valuable for people to hear a former professional footballer talk about this, your mental health?

Danny: I think it’s huge man I honestly I just I think I think mental health is probably more important than your physical health to be honest you know you’ve got you can be physically fit but if you’re not mentally well you’re going to your body’s going to break down you know so I think priority every day of the week should be mental health 100%

Jake: How mentally unwell were you?

Danny: Yeah I mean I’m not sure if I was was I’m not sure if I was in the deepest hole but I was it’s the darkest I’ve ever felt 100%, I’ve never like you know I’ve always been about I’ve always been the kind of personality that like you know just get on with it brushing you know the typical like kind of man stuff but I mean during that during that stage I just couldn’t shift anything it was like it was almost like you’re drowning a bit and you forgot how to swim it was a strange feeling man it was so strange

Jake: And with an upbringing that you’ve had, did you feel it was your responsibility to deal with that alone?

Danny: Yep and everyone else’s they can’t see it don’t let them see it you can’t hurt them, I mean I feel like get a bit upset, bloody hell, so then I mean it makes it a bit more harder for me when family’s involved that’s what gets me

Jake: What do you mean?

Danny: Just the responsibility of like of making them possibly feel a bit shit as well

Jake: Did you feel you let them down

Danny: Yeah

Damian: So what like what did you Mum and Dad say when you come out of the cell?

Danny: I mean they’re obviously disappointed like any parent would be do you know what I mean but I think they kind of knew as well like I wasn’t being myself so I don’t think they like they didn’t held it against me cus they knew like I was going through you know from outside it looked a bit shitty but you know they obviously like close to me so they kind of know it’s shitty so I just think they kind of like you know bit stupid in it Dan? Yeah like kind of let me go with it kind of thing

Jake: Did you tell them how hard it was?

Danny: Not at first no not at first no cus I didn’t I didn’t want to I didn’t want to put any responsibility on them you know what I mean like when I think when you’re going through these things you almost like kind of bring everything in and then you know and then it obviously gets too much then it’s just literally like like it’s like a flood so I just think I mean and I’ve never really been through that before I’ve never had to deal with it before so this was like my first low point so again I was just a bit like what’s going on here like why do I feel like I you know loads of questions why do I feel like this why do I feel like this I would deal with it but yeah I mean it was you know it’s something I’ve learned off again it’s mad

Damian: So if someone was listening to this then Danny what would you say would be the most effective first step for when if they recognise they’re at that low point what did you take well?

Danny: I just I mean talking’s massive I’m feeling like you can trust the person you’re talking to is massive that definitely helps and just be kind to yourself man it’s you know it’s not it’s never just going to be simple like things may have felt simple but it’s not always going to be that way like just give yourself a break man just give yourself a pat on the back when you need it kind of thing

Jake: Kindness is actually an important element to all this as well because while all this is going on you know there’s memes on the internet about Danny drink water you’re being nicknamed Danny drink beer Danny drink cocktails I saw I remember seeing an ESPN article calling you the second worst Premier League signing ever and it’s like this is someone who’s suffering with their mental health having a really difficult time and then the public pile on happens as well

Danny: Yeah I mean luckily for me I’ve never really focused on that you know I’ve never even when it’s been going good I’ve never really focused on it but you know you see it it obviously chips away I mean I’m not I’m not a fan of mainstream media at all I think it’s I just think it’s not a good thing so I kind of stay away from it but you know my mates look at it my mates tell me by it so yeah it’s a bit like just another thing is it one more thing to go with it sound try and deal with that

Damian: Was there ever a point where you wanted just to talk like this

Danny: Yeah 100% yeah yeah yeah

Damian: Why didn’t you at that time?

Danny: I don’t think I don’t think you feel like you can trust a lot of people and even if even if you do like you know is it going to be then put out in the right way I don’t know if it is obviously a moment came for a reset

Jake: Burnley yeah now the question that people listening to this will be thinking is hold on really bad at Chelsea gets a chance to make a move goes to Burnley who wanted him because they signed him and he ends up getting in a scrap outside the nightclub yeah is this guy not learning his lessons

Danny: Yeah it does it looks pretty bad don’t it so there was a few clubs and I picked Burnley because it was I could drive from home 45 minutes in the car and I could be close to my son you know in hindsight now I would have gone to another club worked under a different manager and the whole thing would have been totally different but that’s an easy thing to say in it so again I’ve worked with I worked with Sean Dyche at Watford, he was the assistant at Watford at the time when I didn’t enjoy it at all you know and I’ve gone to Burnley just hoping it’d be different but knowing that I was close to my son so that was that was the main reason why I chose that club and then going into it I knew his teams were full like fit I knew they were machines and I was like right it’s exactly what I need but it didn’t work just did not work at all

Jake: Why not?

Danny: I mean he’s you know Sean Dyche has got his own ways kind of thing you know you’ve seen loads of players go under Sean Dyche and not be successful I think I was just one of them

Jake: For what reason?

Danny: Well first of all I wasn’t playing you know he got he got me fit but I wasn’t playing you know he kind of he kind of sticks with his teams and it’s really really hard to get in and then I’m in this similar position at Burnley then I was at a Chelsea so then in my head I’m thinking what am I doing here when I can be at Chelsea doing the exact same thing like what is going on and then bear in mind like some of Sean Dyche’s ways are wicked like off the pitch he’s class off the pitch, I like you know his meetings were brilliant you know he’s got I don’t know how long he’s been doing it but he’s got this real thing of like the mental side of stuff and you know he’s he’s class he’s class off the pitch uh but then this I mean this Villa thing came up then you know and I could stay at home again and it’s another reset happy days like I have to get this done

Jake: So did you did he kind of get rid of you because of the night

Danny: No know wanted me to stay me

Damian: And what happened with that that night incident

Danny: I can’t remember much about it to be honest I just remember again I was in a nightclub drinking and then got into a little scuffle and then got like levered by a few of them and then I was up in the morning and just my ankle just couldn’t I just couldn’t remember what happened right went into the training ground got it looked at and then I’ve obviously like I think I’ve like fractured or something in my foot never happened to any bone in my body at all always been like pretty solid and I was like shit, the fuck’s going on here it was a big hiccup in in what I wanted to be like a successful loan but you know it was never like for me it never felt like a make or break kind of moment that it was a strange one you know cuz if it was like I would have been told to leave by them like he wanted to keep me which I can’t understand to be honest because he wasn’t playing me and I knew all I think we both knew all I needed was games all I needed was games and like I said that’s when the Villa thing came up which was massive

Jake: So you went to Villa

Danny: Went to Villa yeah

Jake: And how did that go

Danny: Same, no honestly like that’s one thing I always I mean I don’t think I’ve said this much but I wish that’s one club I wish went different Villa because from the moment I walked in I was like surprised me and it was, it felt almost similar to Leicester so I was like come on like finally a club where I feel like I can kick on a bit manager was Dean Smith at the time great, me straight in but you know probably I wasn’t knowing already I was miles off it to be honest debut thinking two or three games later obviously like still stinking like I’m out of I’m out of games now for a year and a half so the speed feels like way too quick and I’m thinking fuck like it’s got away from me a bit here so I end up doing way too much physical work than what I should be doing like this was myself now trying to push myself a bit too much, you know changed my diet went vegan pushed myself too much physically I mean I go through my day at Villa I was I’d going quite early at training I’d swim, I’d do gym, I’d train with a team, I’d do more fitness on my own on the pitch and then that was like my day then whereas when I’m flying I go in training, chill out, train with a team, chill out do the odd gym session just to make sure my muscles are firing over the night that that was me whereas now like I’m doing way too much but I know I’m trying to catch up to something and I thought this is the way I need to do it when it wasn’t it wasn’t

Jake: So how did you end up head butting your teammate?

Danny: That was after the Leicester game so I’ve gone back to King Power, it’s away Villa Leicester and well I think we get beat like 4-1 or something I didn’t get on the pitch and I’m like sat on the bench and I’m thinking fucking hell like this is a place where I used to dominate like week in week out here for a quite a good period of time

Jake: How painful was that?

Danny: Yeah that was that was probably like football in terms where I thought I’ve just had enough of this like why am I why am I here and not even playing I’ve come back this and I love football at Leicester and I’ve never got it back since I left there which you know is partly my fault and I thought oh I’m going back to where I love football mint you know not starting fine when I get on the pitch fucking buzzing I’ll be flying all over the place didn’t get on and then anyone in football will tell you that the day after a game if you’ve not played they are absolute head loss sessions so they are where like nobody’s played minutes and it’s you know just to get some movement into your legs and it’s just not nice as all as any player so then we’re in a game and then me and the lad end up having like a little argument and then it kind of carries on and you know he just tells me to shut up a few two times too many and then next minute you know he’s on the floor kind of thing and as soon as I did that I felt like shit because not because of what I did but because I knew like I just knew I reacted to something where I didn’t need to react to it I should have just walked away I just let him say his peace and walk away, where I was in like what I felt like was such a rut that I thought fuck no mate you’re getting it I should have just walked off should have just walked off

Damian: Have you ever done anything like that before?

Danny: I mean I’ve had fights and stuff but I’ve never like I’ve never been told to shut up two or three times and then reacted to it you know I just like say something back and then whatever happens happens kind of thing but I’d never no I’d never do that I’d never do that

Jake: From what you said though you correct me if I’m wrong but it almost feels at this point like you’re almost seeing your career slip away now

Danny: Oh yeah massively oh it was going and I could feel it going and I think that’s why I was trying so hard to do all them extra bits to try and crawl it back yeah uh and the odd thing was as well is I knew I knew Dean Smith was not counting on me but I knew he thought you know we’re going to get you back here we’ll get you back

Jake: So then you’ve got that additional complex layer of feeling like you’re letting people down again

Danny: Yeah yeah I think I have yeah well I have in the background now knowing about it yeah and then even that’s when Covid came so literally the Covid period and the season gets extended and my loan contract runs out and I’m at this point I’m saying to the gaffer that like obviously listen I really appreciate everything like sorry I kind of let you down but like I’m grateful, want you to know like I really appreciate and he’s like what do you mean like him you know go out to Chelsea no no like we want you to stay so I’m like what what do you mean you want me to stay what for, he’s like do you mean what for got like eight massive games left or something it was like you’re going to you know this is it’s a reset again it’s a massive opportunity so I was like Gaff man I’m just no I just don’t want to let you down again and then anyway we end up having a conversation ended up signing the extension and that was even for me I was like fucking hell that’s that’s good that like I really appreciate appreciate that like let’s see what we can make of it then

Jake: What did what did you make of it?

Danny: Well Covid came and I felt for the first time in two years I was on a even playing field with the rest of the lads for fitness because I got myself into great shape and no one had played games now I think for like two or three months was it so I I felt like fucking hell like mint and then we had a couple of friendlies West Brom felt really good did really good and I thought you know what Drink’s buzzing made the right decision here thanks gaffa sorted me right out I’m back, Leicester away first half of the game really good dominated again hamstring goes fucking hamstring goes I know and it’s like what fucking and then and then it’s like what chance have I got a year like what chance have I actually got and it was like a grade two six weeks out and then I stayed at Villa stayed at Villa it was like the club were great got back fit I think the lads had only played one game because it was such a tricky time when it during Covid got back first training session in with the boys boom hamstring again same leg and I’m like fuck sake what’s going on what actually is going on do you know when you I just couldn’t feel like I could catch a break anywhere so then I’ve got I’ve got me trying to get my career back on to where I need to get it or feel like I want to get it and I’m just getting injured so what can you do what can you actually do I felt like my hands were just it just everything was just out on my hands at that point

Damian: So what did you do?

Danny: Went back to Chelsea, went back to Chelsea and then went on loan to Turkey, Kasimpasa, which was again brand new for me so I’m going I need to this is my last chances I need to I need to work at it went did the fitness test fine went down in the gym the day after to do some fitness stuff on myself and my calf goes, my calf goes. It’s that thing again like it’s out on my hands like I’ve tried literally I’ve tried everything

Jake: And when was you know that famous challenge on that kid that then went viral as well when you were playing for the under 23s when was, was that right towards the end at Chelsea

Danny: So that I think that was before Kasimpasha loan, that was just frustration again I mean I yeah I can’t remember much about it I just remember him making a big tackle on me and then I’m just thinking you fucking little shit kind of just lashed out a bit uh but again you know like made a it was like a little kick like but then you know

Jake: But you’re a story at this point

Danny: Exactly exactly and you know it’s an easy target and that’s absolutely fine no problem but you know don’t think I’m not like I’m just going to take getting splattered by some little kid like piss off just cuz I’m going through it a bit I ain’t taking that

Damian: So how does it feel having gone through that with us for the last little while

Danny: Yeah it sounds a bit sore do it like it sounds like you know it’s not been easy it sounds like for someone it would be tough you know and and this is a thing about expressing yourself like when you’re going through it if you’re expressing yourself with someone like you can talk to or trust you it does sound like it’d be hard work when you internalise things which I was doing I didn’t I didn’t get it myself but then when I spoke to someone it was like fuck that’s that does sound like a hard time and like you know careers are careers I mean football is a short one and they do come to an end but I mean not not being able to like kind of go through it how you’d want to go through it it’s kind of tough to take as well I suppose

Damian: So how do you feel that you that you’re almost in that position but you’re walking away from the sport now so like what have you learned that that would have served you well from when you left United, left Leicester now you’re leaving football completely

Danny: I mean I’d say like listen it’s not just about your physical state you need to you need to prioritise your mental state, that’s probably like where you should be focusing on you know I mean if you look at if you look at like all the people or players or even other sports you know the drivers or anything that’s like peak they all they all have like a really good what I’d look at and say like mental state you know like you know they all seem quite content or they always have some kind of stability or like balance or you know that they’re in kind of the right place mentally so I just think if young players can get that at a young age like that would be absolutely crucial for them in the long term

Jake: Are you at a point now where you can sit here and go bloody hell you know best part of a 20-year professional career and I won the Premier League, or do you sit here and go that Chelsea period dominates my thoughts I let myself down on too many occasions where are you at today

Danny: Yeah no I probably I’d probably I probably start with like you’ve let yourself down kind of thing somewhere down the line a few times you know there there’s more than once where it’s not gone to plan but fuck me Drinks like you’ve you’ve played for England you’ve won the Prem won the FA Cup you know you’ve played in Charity Shields like you’ve done great like you’ve literally done great this is me coming from you know playing football on your estate as a kid wanted to be this professional footballer like I’ve done it and I think now that’s the thing whereas you know if I had the same mindset maybe six years ago I would be like it’s not even a shit career but I’ve not, like I know now I’ve not, you know I’ve done I’ve done things that most lads only dream of you know and taking the medals out of it you know I’ve travelled the world like maybe not seeing what I’d like to see with football because you know you’re on a schedule but you know there’s so many more benefits as well to winning trophies life experience everything you know the people you meet it’s I mean I’ve done I’ve done class

Damian: So what the lessons you’re going to take then from that incredible set of experiences into this next chapter of your life well

Danny: I’d like to think again it’s helped me grow so I’m a better person from everything if I can help other people doing it or on their way through just a bit of perspective on stuff and you know I’d like to be able to do that