“Can I paint a picture? No." - Danny Drinkwater on 'shambolic' time at Chelsea

Danny Drinkwater's time at Chelsea has been nothing short of the saying: "The grass isn't always greener on the other side." The former England international has been forgettable in recent times on his own accord. His career over the past few years has derailed unimaginably.

It wasn't long ago that Drinkwater was a bonafide Premier League champion. He was one of the players who helped Leicester City overcome the odds of 5000-1 by rewriting one fascinating tale in modern footballing history.

Aside from his side's glory, he was on an uphill climb of his own, winning individual honors by bagging Leicester City's Player of the Season and Goal of the Season awards for the 2013-14 season.

His performances contributed a lot towards establishing the first chapter in Leicester's rise as they secured promotion to the top flight from the SkyBet Championship. Later, playing 35 games in the Premier League during the 2015-16 season, he was instrumental in Claudio Ranieri's title-winning plans. After becoming Premier League champion with Leicester, Drinkwater craved a change of scenery.

Drinkwater's career plummeted at Chelsea

In 2017 Drinkwater, earning an England call-up, decided to sign for Premier League champions Chelsea on a five-year contract for a £35 million fee. It went all downhill for the midfielder from here. Having made only 23 top-flight appearances for the Blues, Chelsea sent him on four different loan spells during his four-year stay.

To say he struggled during his first three loan spells would be an understatement. During that period, he did nothing noteworthy to influence the manager at his parent club. He even spurred controversy in off-field situations at Burnley and Aston Villa.

After recently joining Reading with a year left on his contract with Chelsea, he looks impressive for the first time in years. He is motivated to find his footing back with a grueling season in the Championship to earn a potential suitor once his contract expires. He is striving hard to get his unremembered Chelsea career back on track.

“Can I paint a picture? No. It’s been a shambles, it’s football, it’s never straightforward, it’s never simple. I’m just excited for the new challenges. I need to [kick-start my career]. I’m more excited about this than I have been for a few years now, especially how my career’s panned out." - Danny Drinkwater told talkSPORT.

“Games, getting the enjoyment of football back, then going from there. A few have slid away, I’ve made mistakes, I’ve not played. I’m in the last year of my contract, so there’s more than just football riding on it. I’ve got other things." - he adds.

The Royals have taken a chance on the Chelsea loanee. The 31-year-old midfielder needs to impress with the minutes he earns. There are still a few years left in him that he can utilize to play for himself and help another side grow with his experience.

"I’m desperate for games, I know my position and I know it’s not what I’ve expected for ten years. So I’ve got to make changes and I’m making the right steps. I’ve just got to keep in contact with the manager, trust each other and trust the team. Hopefully they trust me and we can build on that.” - Drinkwater concludes with optimism.

There is no denying that the player has made bad choices that have barred him from his true potential thus far. Perhaps the redemption story arc still awaits away from Chelsea for a desperate Danny Drinkwater.