Podcast: The High Performance
Published Date:
Mon, 30 Oct 2023 01:00:00 GMT
Duration:
1:09:04
Explicit:
False
Guests:
MP3 Audio:
Please note that the summary is generated based on the transcript and may not capture all the nuances or details discussed in the podcast episode.
Danny Drinkwater joins us on High Performance, taking this opportunity to announce his retirement from professional football. After an almost 20 year career, Danny takes some time to look back on his accomplishments, greatest lessons and biggest challenges.
After rising through the Youth Academy at Manchester United, Danny played for some of the country’s biggest clubs, including Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Leicester City. He takes Jake and Damian through his football career; from sitting on the bench at Manchester United aged 18, to being a key part of Leicester City’s Premier League winning squad. He shares 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.
Download The High Performance App by clicking the link below and using the code: HPAPP https://www.thehighperformancepodcast.com/app-link
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
# **High Performance Podcast Episode Summary**
## **Guest: Danny Drinkwater**
### **Key Points:**
- Danny Drinkwater announces his retirement from professional football after a nearly 20-year career.
- He reflects on his journey, from rising through the ranks at Manchester United to playing for several top clubs, including Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Leicester City.
- Drinkwater shares the emotional rollercoaster of winning the Premier League with Leicester City and the disappointment of having his Euro 2016 opportunity taken away.
- He discusses the influence of legendary figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Claudio Ranieri on his career and personal life.
- Drinkwater emphasizes the importance of personal management in football and highlights the challenges of dealing with mental health struggles, including rejection and addiction.
- He shares his insights on what makes a great football manager and stresses the significance of building team momentum and fostering a positive team culture.
- The podcast delves into Drinkwater's difficult experiences with mental health, including his arrest for drink-driving in 2019, and the importance of seeking help and finding practical solutions to unhappiness.
- Drinkwater's story serves as a reminder of the personal growth and resilience required to overcome adversity and move towards a brighter future.
### **Memorable Quotes:**
- "Careers are careers... I mean, football is a short one and they do come to an end, but 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." - Danny Drinkwater
- "We won the championship. We nearly got relegated the season after, first season in the Prem, and then the second year in the Prem, we go on and win it. Like if you look at them as three years in football, it's just untouchable, I don't think you're going to get that. And then even a year after that, we got to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. It's not something that happens all the time, that." - Danny Drinkwater
- "And I love football at Leicester, and I've never got it back since I left there." - Danny Drinkwater
- "Obviously, like, I'm sobering up and I'm in this cell and I'm thinking 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 get hold of yourself here. It's the darkest I've ever felt, 100%. It was almost like you're drowning a bit and you forgot to swim." - Danny Drinkwater
- "Why am I here and not even playing?" - Danny Drinkwater
### **Overall Message:**
This conversation with Danny Drinkwater highlights the challenges and triumphs of a professional footballer's career, emphasizing the importance of personal growth, resilience, and seeking support during difficult times. It serves as a reminder that success and happiness extend beyond the pitch and that finding balance and addressing mental health are crucial for overall well-being.
In this episode of the High Performance podcast, Danny Drinkwater announces his retirement from professional football after a nearly 20-year career. He reflects on his accomplishments, greatest lessons, and biggest challenges.
Danny's journey took him from Manchester United's Youth Academy to some of England's top clubs, including Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Leicester City. He shares the emotional rollercoaster of winning the Premier League with Leicester and the disappointment of missing out on the Euro opportunity.
Danny emphasizes the importance of personal management for football managers to bring out the best in players and build team momentum. He also discusses his struggles with mental health, including dealing with rejection and the aftermath of his arrest for drink-driving in 2019.
Danny highlights the significance of mental health care and finding practical solutions to unhappiness. He stresses the need for kindness to oneself and others, especially in the face of public scrutiny and criticism.
The conversation delves into the importance of personal growth, overcoming challenges, and moving forward to a brighter future. Danny emphasizes the value of seeking professional help and finding trusted individuals to talk to during difficult times.
Overall, this podcast episode provides a candid and insightful look into the life and career of Danny Drinkwater, shedding light on the challenges and triumphs of a professional footballer while also highlighting the importance of mental health and personal well-being.
# Summary of the Podcast Episode: Danny Drinkwater Retires from Professional Football
In this episode of the High Performance Podcast, former professional footballer Danny Drinkwater announces his retirement from the sport after a nearly 20-year career. He reflects on his journey, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned along the way.
**Key Points:**
- Danny Drinkwater began his career at Manchester United, rising through the ranks of the youth academy.
- He played for several prominent clubs throughout his career, including Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Leicester City.
- Drinkwater played a crucial role in Leicester City's historic Premier League title win in 2016.
- He faced mental health struggles and personal setbacks, including a drink-driving arrest in 2019.
- Drinkwater emphasizes the importance of mental health care and finding practical solutions to unhappiness.
- He believes that a great football manager should prioritize personal management to bring out the best in players and build team momentum.
- Drinkwater highlights the significance of self-worth and personal development beyond football.
- He shares his experiences of working with legendary figures like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Claudio Ranieri, and the impact they had on his career.
- Drinkwater acknowledges that he could have made different choices at various points in his career, but he is grateful for the opportunities he had.
**Overall Message:**
Danny Drinkwater's journey in football was filled with both triumphs and challenges. He encourages individuals to prioritize their mental well-being, embrace personal growth, and learn from their experiences, both positive and negative. Drinkwater's story serves as a reminder that success is not always measured by material achievements but also by personal growth and resilience.
# Danny Drinkwater's High-Performance Journey: From Triumphs to Challenges
**Introduction**
Danny Drinkwater, a former professional footballer with a career spanning nearly two decades, joins the High-Performance podcast to announce his retirement from the sport. He reminisces about his accomplishments, lessons learned, and the hurdles he faced throughout his journey.
**Football Career: From Manchester United to Leicester City**
Danny's football career took him to some of England's most prominent clubs, including Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and Leicester City. He shares his experiences, from being a young player on the bench at Manchester United to becoming an integral part of Leicester City's Premier League-winning squad.
**Winning the Premier League and Euro's Disappointment**
Danny vividly recounts the emotional highs of winning the Premier League with Leicester City and the contrasting lows of having his opportunity to play in the Euros taken away. He reflects on these experiences and the impact they had on his career.
**Inspiration from Legendary Figures**
Danny had the privilege of working with legendary figures in football, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Sir Alex Ferguson, and Claudio Ranieri. He discusses how these individuals inspired and challenged him, both professionally and personally.
**Attributes of a Great Football Manager**
Danny delves into what he believes makes a great football manager, emphasizing the importance of personal management to motivate players and build team momentum. He shares his insights on effective leadership and team dynamics.
**Mental Health Struggles and Overcoming Adversity**
Danny opens up about his struggles with mental health, including dealing with rejection and the aftermath of an arrest for drink-driving in 2019. He highlights the significance of mental health care and finding practical solutions to address unhappiness.
**Conclusion: Personal Growth and a Brighter Future**
The conversation centers around personal growth, resilience in the face of adversity, and moving towards a brighter future. Danny's journey serves as an inspiration for overcoming challenges and embracing new opportunities.
[00:00.000 -> 00:04.240] For so long many of you have been asking for more from the High Performance Podcast
[00:04.240 -> 00:08.320] and now you can get it. I'm pleased to say the High Performance app is available for you to
[00:08.320 -> 00:13.120] download now. Simply search for High Performance in the app store right now and then use your
[00:13.120 -> 00:20.160] exclusive code HPAPP for exclusive content, untold stories and things you won't see or hear
[00:20.160 -> 00:24.880] anywhere else. Check it out right now, the High Performance Podcast app.
[00:25.160 -> 00:31.300] anywhere else. Check it out right now, the High Performance Podcast app. Hi there, you're listening to High Performance, the award-winning podcast that unlocks the
[00:31.300 -> 00:36.400] minds of some of the most fascinating people on the planet. I'm Jake Humphrey, and alongside
[00:36.400 -> 00:42.200] Professor Damian Hughes, we learn from the stories, successes and struggles of our guests,
[00:42.200 -> 00:45.680] allowing us all to explore, be challenged and to grow.
[00:46.400 -> 00:47.760] Here's what's coming up today.
[00:49.040 -> 00:50.240] You know, careers are careers.
[00:50.240 -> 00:55.200] I mean, football is a short one and they do come to an end, but not being able to like
[00:55.200 -> 00:57.680] kind of go through it, how you'd want to go through it.
[00:57.680 -> 00:59.360] It's kind of tough to take as well, I suppose.
[01:00.000 -> 01:01.600] We won the championship.
[01:01.600 -> 01:08.080] We nearly got relegated the season after, first season in the Prem and then the second year in the Prem, we go on and win it.
[01:08.080 -> 01:12.160] Like if you look at them as three years in football, it's just untouchable,
[01:12.160 -> 01:13.120] I don't think you're going to get that.
[01:13.120 -> 01:16.880] And then even a year after that, we got to the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
[01:16.880 -> 01:18.960] It's not something that happens all the time, that.
[01:18.960 -> 01:22.800] And I love football at Leicester, and I've never got it back since I left there.
[01:23.440 -> 01:30.860] Obviously, like, I'm soberinging up and I'm in this cell and I'm thinking this is not you at all. It's not
[01:30.860 -> 01:34.460] you as a person, it's not how you want to be as a person, like you need to get
[01:34.460 -> 01:40.940] hold of yourself here. It's the darkest I've ever felt, 100%. It was almost like
[01:40.940 -> 01:45.560] you're drowning a bit and you forgot to swim. Why am I here and not
[01:45.560 -> 01:48.060] even playing?
[01:48.060 -> 01:52.740] So today we welcome a Premier League winner whose story is about so much more than just
[01:52.740 -> 01:57.660] lifting that trophy. Danny Drinkwater is one of the most talked about and controversial
[01:57.660 -> 02:05.680] players of the last few years, yet today he tells you his story in his own words and nothing is off the table.
[02:05.680 -> 02:10.280] It's time to find out what really went on behind the headlines.
[02:10.280 -> 02:23.840] And we start with some big personal news as we welcome Danny Drinkwater to High Performance.
[02:23.840 -> 02:29.360] These days every new potential hire can feel like a high-stakes wager for your small business.
[02:29.360 -> 02:34.040] You want to be 100% certain that you have access to the best qualified candidates available.
[02:34.040 -> 02:36.920] That's why you have to check out LinkedIn Jobs.
[02:36.920 -> 02:42.320] LinkedIn Jobs helps find the right people for your team, faster and for free.
[02:42.320 -> 02:45.840] Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash hard work.
[02:45.840 -> 02:51.880] That's LinkedIn.com slash hard work to post your job for free. Terms and
[02:51.880 -> 02:57.960] conditions apply. On our podcast we love to highlight businesses that are doing
[02:57.960 -> 03:01.960] things a better way so you can live a better life and that's why when I found
[03:01.960 -> 03:08.920] Mint Mobile I had to share. So Mint Mobile ditched retail stores and all those overhead costs and instead sells
[03:08.920 -> 03:13.360] their phone plans online and passes those savings to you. And for a limited
[03:13.360 -> 03:16.880] time they're passing on even more savings with a new customer offer that
[03:16.880 -> 03:21.920] cuts all Mint Mobile plans to $15 a month when you purchase a three-month
[03:21.920 -> 03:26.720] plan. That's unlimited talk, text and data for
[03:26.720 -> 03:32.800] $15 a month. And by the way the quality of Mint Mobile's wireless service in
[03:32.800 -> 03:37.360] comparison to providers that we've worked with before is incredible. Mint Mobile is
[03:37.360 -> 03:42.360] here to rescue you with premium wireless plans for 15 bucks a month. So say
[03:42.360 -> 03:45.520] goodbye to your overpriced wireless plans, those jaw-dropping
[03:45.520 -> 03:50.080] monthly bills, those unexpected overages, because all the plans come with unlimited
[03:50.080 -> 03:55.720] talk and text and high speed data delivered on the nation's largest 5G network. Use your
[03:55.720 -> 04:00.560] own phone with any Mint Mobile plan, bring your phone number along with all your existing
[04:00.560 -> 04:03.800] contacts. So ditch overpriced wireless with Mint Mobile's
[04:03.800 -> 04:06.240] limited time deal and get premium wireless
[04:06.240 -> 04:09.200] service for just $15 a month.
[04:09.200 -> 04:14.080] To get this new customer offer and your new 3 month unlimited wireless plan for just $15
[04:14.080 -> 04:21.480] a month go to mintmobile.com.hpp.
[04:21.480 -> 04:27.480] Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month at mintmobile.com slash HPP. Additional
[04:27.480 -> 04:32.520] taxes, fees and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details.
[04:32.520 -> 04:40.640] By the way, there is some bad language in this episode of High Performance.
[04:40.640 -> 04:42.720] Welcome to High Performance. Thank you.
[04:42.720 -> 04:50.760] You seem like a man who's ready to talk. Yeah, just about. Well let's start with some news then that I suppose you should
[04:50.760 -> 04:54.240] probably share the news rather than me right? Yeah I guess I can do. I'd just
[04:54.240 -> 04:57.800] like to announce my retirement from professional football. Probably been a
[04:57.800 -> 05:02.200] long time coming maybe, especially with the last year, but now I think it's
[05:02.200 -> 05:05.520] time to officially announce it now. How does it feel even saying that?
[05:05.520 -> 05:10.520] Do you know what, I didn't actually think it bothered me but saying it then, it's almost like,
[05:10.520 -> 05:14.520] you know, it's scratching the nerve a bit but I think I've been ready for it.
[05:14.520 -> 05:20.520] I think, like I said outside, I think not stopping at my peak and kind of it simmered down a little bit
[05:20.520 -> 05:23.520] has kind of helped the transition definitely.
[05:23.520 -> 05:27.840] When did the moment sort of dawn on you that, alright, that's kind of helped the transition definitely. When did the moment dawn on you that alright, that's it then?
[05:27.840 -> 05:32.200] I think I've been in limbo for too long. I think I've either been kind of wanting to
[05:32.200 -> 05:38.040] play but not getting the opportunity to play at a standard or a level where I felt valued.
[05:38.040 -> 05:43.000] So I just thought I'm wrestling it for no reason. I'm happy not playing football, but
[05:43.000 -> 05:46.640] I'm happy playing football so I'll just shake hands with a sport kind of thing.
[05:46.640 -> 05:50.920] So I can see like when you say I'd like to announce my retirement you can see then like
[05:50.920 -> 05:54.760] the emotion. What does it stir in you when you say it?
[05:54.760 -> 06:02.080] I mean it's all I've known. It's been my life since I was six, seven years old I think.
[06:02.080 -> 06:08.600] So it's not you know it's never going to be like an easy thing. I think the way it's kind of died down in a way has definitely helped.
[06:08.600 -> 06:13.160] Listen, if I was playing week in week out and I had to say like I've got to stop
[06:13.160 -> 06:18.120] maybe through injury or through just age, not being able to like get about the
[06:18.120 -> 06:21.840] pitch like I'd like to, I think it'd be trickier. And is there a level that you
[06:21.840 -> 06:28.000] wouldn't consider playing at? I mean I've had quite a few offers from championship clubs and stuff.
[06:28.000 -> 06:32.000] I just never felt like the burn, it just did nothing for me.
[06:32.000 -> 06:36.000] I spent the last year playing football on loan at Reading,
[06:36.000 -> 06:42.000] I was unfit, found the first six months really hard.
[06:42.000 -> 06:47.340] Last end of the season Paulins came in and you know
[06:47.340 -> 06:51.020] just having his old-school kind of methods and stuff really helped me and
[06:51.020 -> 06:55.780] then I kind of found my feet again towards the end but I mean going into
[06:55.780 -> 07:00.740] the season after that not having been snapped up was kind of a bit of like a
[07:00.740 -> 07:05.760] something's don't feel right here kind of thing. So I think then it was like I either
[07:05.760 -> 07:11.880] pushed on fitness wise by myself or I kind of just like I said just shook hands with
[07:11.880 -> 07:12.880] the sport.
[07:12.880 -> 07:20.080] What's that emotion like when you're a Premier League winner in his early 30s who's bought
[07:20.080 -> 07:24.280] for multi millions of pounds by one of the biggest clubs in the country and suddenly
[07:24.280 -> 07:29.760] like the offers aren't coming in. Is it a sense of rejection? Do you feel forgotten about?
[07:29.760 -> 07:38.160] Yeah it's probably a bit of both. I must have been scratching my head for weeks. I remember
[07:38.160 -> 07:41.960] speaking to someone else in football and I was like I just don't get it. How has no one
[07:41.960 -> 07:45.320] like come and took a little chance,
[07:45.320 -> 07:46.580] you know, just to get me really fit?
[07:46.580 -> 07:48.040] Cause they know what I'm capable of when I'm fit,
[07:48.040 -> 07:50.300] like I just need to get fit.
[07:50.300 -> 07:52.480] I've never been really obsessed with football.
[07:52.480 -> 07:54.540] I've just absolutely loved it.
[07:54.540 -> 07:59.540] So then the idea of me dropping down is fine.
[07:59.920 -> 08:01.040] I've not got a problem with that.
[08:01.040 -> 08:04.320] It was the idea of not playing to my worth.
[08:04.320 -> 08:08.760] Like when I left United, I had this thing in the back of me that was burning for years
[08:08.760 -> 08:15.320] and it was to get back to like a top 4-5 team. And I think when I did that it was almost
[08:15.320 -> 08:21.080] like, you know, I'd not only proven it to myself but it was almost like a, you know,
[08:21.080 -> 08:25.400] kind of like a dig like, shouldn't let me go, like I'll prove you wrong kind of thing, do you know what I mean? I think that was kind of one of dig like shouldn't let me go like I'll prove you wrong kind
[08:25.400 -> 08:29.280] of thing do you know I mean I think that was kind of one of the big things that
[08:29.280 -> 08:33.760] spurred me on throughout my career it wasn't the thought of dropping down
[08:33.760 -> 08:39.040] leagues and stuff till I till I can't move it was the thought of you know kind
[08:39.040 -> 08:42.520] of proving people wrong I think. So what did Manchester United teach you then
[08:42.520 -> 08:50.280] about high performance? Oh everything I can't remember anyone growing up at United and saying a bad
[08:50.280 -> 08:56.720] thing. Like literally from things off the field to everything on the field. It
[08:56.720 -> 09:01.340] taught you how to behave, it taught you how to address people, it taught you how
[09:01.340 -> 09:09.000] to you know manage yourself on the pitch. You. It wasn't easy. I've seen kids get cut at young ages.
[09:09.000 -> 09:12.000] Like really good friends at the time.
[09:12.000 -> 09:13.000] And it wasn't easy.
[09:13.000 -> 09:20.000] But if you was one of the small minority that made it, it was such a good thing.
[09:20.000 -> 09:24.000] And who were the people that you remember as being what we would call cultural architects?
[09:24.000 -> 09:27.400] Who were the people around there setting the tone, letting
[09:27.400 -> 09:30.280] you know the standards required at that football club? I mean when you look at Sir Alex
[09:30.280 -> 09:34.960] he was always the king. And what about when you got towards the first team? Who
[09:34.960 -> 09:39.040] were the players you looked at and thought oh that's the level, okay. I mean
[09:39.040 -> 09:43.240] I was in the same building as Paul Sculls, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, like the
[09:43.240 -> 09:45.440] motivation you just turned a corner in
[09:45.440 -> 09:51.600] the corridor and it was like wow, you were almost starstruck and you're literally in
[09:51.600 -> 09:54.760] the gym next to them, it was a bit surreal.
[09:54.760 -> 09:59.920] There was this one summer, Cristiano Ronaldo was there for I think 9 or 10 months and then
[09:59.920 -> 10:10.680] the season kind of ended and he left that summer left that summer and he was he wasn't this big machine you know he was he was like a thin like kind of young teenager
[10:10.680 -> 10:14.520] as it was and he come back after that summer and he looked like he'd just grown it was
[10:14.520 -> 10:18.280] crazy and then even seeing that you know you're looking at that and you're
[10:18.280 -> 10:22.000] thinking that's where I need to kind of get to that's the kind of level do you
[10:22.000 -> 10:27.440] know I mean I remember that summer whole season, I just absolutely smashed the gym because
[10:27.440 -> 10:28.440] of what I'd seen in him.
[10:28.440 -> 10:30.000] Didn't get out of the gym or something.
[10:30.000 -> 10:36.120] Do you ever remember getting any words of advice or guidance from any of those players
[10:36.120 -> 10:37.120] you've just referenced?
[10:37.120 -> 10:41.360] Yeah, there was a few times where they'd pull you.
[10:41.360 -> 10:46.500] I remember we played when we was in the reserves and Danny Welbeck
[10:46.500 -> 10:50.260] Danny Welbeck was like a really, like he's still obviously a really good footballer
[10:50.260 -> 10:55.000] but he was he was highly thought of in the team and you know quite a lot of the
[10:55.000 -> 10:57.940] first team and stuff would help him especially Rio was was really close to
[10:57.940 -> 11:01.720] Welbs and then you know you'd get people like Fletch and stuff would give you
[11:01.720 -> 11:08.360] like a nudge and be like you know you need to get your head down here and kind of crack on because you're not too far away from where you need to be
[11:08.660 -> 11:12.140] Which is obviously, you know as a young player, you absolutely love that
[11:12.240 -> 11:16.120] And what about Ferguson would like he's famous for his man management
[11:16.440 -> 11:21.440] Is there any sort of examples you can give of his? I had a few dealings with Sir Alex to be honest
[11:21.440 -> 11:23.440] He was I remember there was a few
[11:24.320 -> 11:25.940] So for some reason I always got
[11:25.940 -> 11:31.540] proper close with the chefs at the clubs and I love my food and I love cooking and all
[11:31.540 -> 11:37.180] that so just naturally and I remember I was waiting for this spaghetti bolognese what
[11:37.180 -> 11:40.680] Mike the chef at United at the time used to do fresh and I was like, bloody hell Mike
[11:40.680 -> 11:45.160] any chance next minute, running back in my head, I was like, what
[11:45.160 -> 11:46.160] the...
[11:46.160 -> 11:47.160] And he's like, you dare speak to him like that again?
[11:47.160 -> 11:48.160] And I was like, ooh.
[11:48.160 -> 11:49.160] And he's like, I apologise.
[11:49.160 -> 11:53.800] And then Mike the chef's like behind the oven like, I'm like, sorry mate.
[11:53.800 -> 11:55.800] And he's like, the pot's over.
[11:55.800 -> 11:57.400] That's valuable though, isn't it?
[11:57.400 -> 11:58.400] Oh, it's stuck you in, man.
[11:58.400 -> 11:59.400] Yeah, of course.
[11:59.400 -> 12:02.280] Yeah, it's like, you know, at the time as a young kid, you're probably thinking, mucking
[12:02.280 -> 12:07.840] it, like, you know, but then when you get older, you're like, wow, that taught me so much, so much.
[12:07.840 -> 12:12.800] Just being around the building I thought it was a great place to grow older, for sure.
[12:12.800 -> 12:17.560] So how and when was the news broken to you that it wasn't going to happen for you at
[12:17.560 -> 12:18.560] United?
[12:18.560 -> 12:20.640] Yeah, it was 21.
[12:20.640 -> 12:24.280] So I went through all that kind of lone kind of structure that's really beneficial as a
[12:24.280 -> 12:25.300] player as well at a young age
[12:25.300 -> 12:29.000] and yeah, I was about 21 and I think it was when I
[12:29.720 -> 12:34.480] had a couple of unsuccessful loans that didn't really go like to plan and then I
[12:35.480 -> 12:39.400] was at Barnsley which I absolutely loved, loved that club and then
[12:40.280 -> 12:50.600] Leicester came in for a bid and then United kind of like was saying I think it's time and I was like well you know I can't say no so I guess I'll just move on.
[12:50.600 -> 12:56.360] So when you went to these loans as a young lad it must have felt like a bit
[12:56.360 -> 13:01.120] of a culture shock what was it that you struggled with? I think a part of it was
[13:01.120 -> 13:05.160] how physical it was I mean I was I was still a kid when I was 18, 19
[13:05.160 -> 13:09.720] years old. I had nothing on me. I was like a chicken bone.
[13:09.720 -> 13:12.520] So the day that you have to pack up your stuff and leave and go to Leicester, there's obviously
[13:12.520 -> 13:16.880] an element of like, I've been bought by another club, I'm wanted, I'm going to have a career,
[13:16.880 -> 13:22.160] but it's also like that dream of year after year just fighting to become a Manchester
[13:22.160 -> 13:25.880] United player had gone. Was that moment difficult?
[13:25.880 -> 13:30.360] Did you fight and say no I can make it as a United player, give me another season or
[13:30.360 -> 13:32.200] did you just accept the club's decision?
[13:32.200 -> 13:35.840] No I think I just accepted it. I think I had no choice to be honest. I think if the club
[13:35.840 -> 13:42.320] was to say no to the offers I think that you know you kind of got something behind you
[13:42.320 -> 13:49.600] then to really like get your teeth stuck into kind of thing but I just think when a club kind of accepts an offer from another
[13:49.600 -> 13:54.760] club you know it's they're kind of saying we want the money instead of you kind of thing.
[13:54.760 -> 13:55.760] Did it hurt?
[13:55.760 -> 13:58.960] Yeah it did yeah definitely and I remember going back now there was no communication
[13:58.960 -> 14:03.480] at all between me and the club it was literally done between like agents and I was like seven
[14:03.480 -> 14:07.000] years I was seven years old I was there from, 21, it's quite a long time.
[14:07.000 -> 14:13.000] And it was nothing like thanks or well done, good luck and all that at the time.
[14:13.000 -> 14:15.000] It was a bit deflating for sure.
[14:15.000 -> 14:19.000] Maybe your first lesson at that moment about how brutal the world of professional sport is.
[14:19.000 -> 14:27.440] I think it was mate, yeah, because you go from being protected so much at United to then like, there you go,
[14:27.440 -> 14:31.520] can I deal with it? But you do get taught really good things along the way. I'm not
[14:31.520 -> 14:36.160] saying they left me to the dogs, you know what I mean? We did get taught so much things.
[14:36.160 -> 14:40.360] But what was the moment when you felt like, I'm on my own here?
[14:40.360 -> 14:42.560] It was a feeling of not having that safety net.
[14:42.560 -> 14:46.720] Well look, it turned into the best time of your career, I'm sure you wouldn't argue with that.
[14:46.720 -> 14:50.400] Let's talk about how special and magical those few years were at Leicester.
[14:50.400 -> 14:50.920] Yeah.
[14:50.920 -> 14:56.200] When you reflect on it, now you've got that sort of great power of hindsight to actually look back properly.
[14:56.200 -> 14:57.200] Yeah, for sure, yeah.
[14:57.200 -> 14:58.200] What was the magic?
[14:58.600 -> 15:00.920] Definitely the team bond was unbelievable.
[15:01.480 -> 15:09.520] And then I'd probably say, me personally, I'd probably say me personally I'd probably say balance like I've never felt so like balanced on and off the pitch during my time at
[15:09.520 -> 15:14.880] Leicester than ever before. Explain what you mean by that Dan. Like I was I was
[15:14.880 -> 15:19.120] confident when I got through that first period at Leicester after that I was just
[15:19.120 -> 15:23.080] full of confidence I wasn't arrogant I was just confident and then on the pitch
[15:23.080 -> 15:29.400] I was you know I was this communicator but I would never like overstep
[15:29.400 -> 15:34.720] the communication where I'd maybe make someone feel like a bit of shit.
[15:34.720 -> 15:40.360] You know, and then off the pitch I had like, I was in like a long term relationship but
[15:40.360 -> 15:45.960] then I would also enjoy time with a lot of... everything was just kind of felt right, all felt that easy.
[15:45.960 -> 15:50.880] But I think it was just everything felt like such nicely timed for that finish.
[15:50.880 -> 15:52.600] It's hard to really put into words.
[15:52.600 -> 15:56.360] And when you reflect on that time, what is the...
[15:56.360 -> 15:58.080] you know, for a lot of people it would just be like
[15:58.080 -> 16:01.080] the trophy lift was the famous moment when you won the Premier League.
[16:01.080 -> 16:08.120] What do you look... what do you remember though as a moment that kind of summed up what that what that club did for you and why it was so special?
[16:08.120 -> 16:13.960] It was, we won the championship, we nearly got relegated the season after, first
[16:13.960 -> 16:17.240] season in the Prem and then the second year in the Prem we go on and win it.
[16:17.240 -> 16:21.760] Like if you look at them as three years in football it's it's just untouchable
[16:21.760 -> 16:24.840] I don't think you're gonna get that and then even a year after that we got to
[16:24.840 -> 16:28.000] the quarterfinals of the Champions League, It's not something that happens all the time.
[16:28.000 -> 16:33.000] So when Pearson gets sacked, that's the first time that you've obviously
[16:33.000 -> 16:39.000] lost a manager, if you like, at a club. So what was the reaction to his sacking,
[16:39.000 -> 16:43.000] but equally, what was the reaction when you heard that Ranieri was coming in?
[16:43.000 -> 16:49.000] I think having Claudio Ranieri come in, it was a huge name and he'd managed some
[16:49.000 -> 16:53.480] massive clubs so I think you know me including the lads were like bloody hell
[16:53.480 -> 16:58.800] like the owners are really having a go here like you know we've just kind of
[16:58.800 -> 17:03.560] scraped it in the prem like this is a big sign this. And what was he like as a
[17:03.560 -> 17:08.000] manager? Oh he was wicked, absolutely wicked yeah I loved him. I used to call him a granddad.
[17:08.000 -> 17:12.120] Honestly, you treat him like a grandson it was it was just unbelievable. Like if
[17:12.120 -> 17:15.520] there was anything I ever needed, even like an extra day off because something
[17:15.520 -> 17:19.360] that maybe it happened off the pit, he'd be like no problem drinks. Just make sure
[17:19.360 -> 17:21.800] you look after yourself kind of thing, look after your family whatever and then
[17:21.800 -> 17:26.960] just come back the day after and make sure you're good to go. For me it was exactly what I needed at
[17:26.960 -> 17:30.960] exactly the right time. And when did you know or believe you were gonna win the
[17:30.960 -> 17:36.060] Premier League? I've always said it was City away. I remember that game and it
[17:36.060 -> 17:40.220] was, we didn't get dominated and luckily score three goals, we kind of dominated
[17:40.220 -> 17:49.880] the game and kind of battered them. And in the dressing room afterwards I remember like, f**king hell lads, this is our chance at this.
[17:49.880 -> 17:54.600] But if you could pinpoint the difference then between the season before where, like you
[17:54.600 -> 18:01.040] say, you've nearly got relegated, to go into City and dominating them, what was the difference?
[18:01.040 -> 18:09.800] I think going through what we went through, so that relegation thing and like coming out of it right at the end, I think the momentum of that going
[18:09.800 -> 18:13.920] into the new season massively helped us because you know we've almost like
[18:13.920 -> 18:18.680] flirted with what the possibility was of going back to the championship and I
[18:18.680 -> 18:23.360] think that was like a strong feeling for quite a lot of us and then starting the
[18:23.360 -> 18:28.520] new season in the Prem it was like we're staying in the Prem. There's no two ways about it like we need to do
[18:28.520 -> 18:31.600] everything we can to to make sure we stay in the Prem and then you know you
[18:31.600 -> 18:36.000] win a game you win a game and it's like shit but yeah it was just it was just an
[18:36.000 -> 18:40.120] unbelievable season. In the moment you lift that trophy is there any part of
[18:40.120 -> 18:43.040] you that's thinking about Manchester United and the fact they let you go at
[18:43.040 -> 18:49.280] that point? Yeah there was definitely a part, 100%. There was definitely a like, almost relief.
[18:49.840 -> 18:54.160] There was obviously like relief that we've just done it finally and it personally for me it was
[18:54.160 -> 19:01.040] like I can still do what I know I can do. It was a huge trophy but then you know that summer window
[19:01.040 -> 19:05.000] there was a few of the big clubs like knocking on the door wanting to take me and
[19:05.000 -> 19:09.720] I was like listen I want to see this through with Leicester, I want to win a Champions
[19:09.720 -> 19:14.520] League, it's a journey, I want to still be a part of it. I think then it was more like
[19:14.520 -> 19:18.880] my focus was mainly on Leicester and seeing what we can achieve again. I didn't want to
[19:18.880 -> 19:22.880] disappear then from Leicester, I wanted to carry on. That was just a driver for me massively.
[19:22.880 -> 19:26.080] Of course the one thing that is bigger than club football is international football.
[19:26.080 -> 19:27.080] Yeah, yeah.
[19:27.080 -> 19:30.400] And this was the time that the moment came where you got an England call up.
[19:30.400 -> 19:31.400] Mm-hmm.
[19:31.400 -> 19:32.400] How did that feel?
[19:32.400 -> 19:36.200] No, that was mad. The first call up, because it was getting talked about quite a bit and
[19:36.200 -> 19:39.320] you know, why is he not in the squads and all that stuff. But I didn't really pay too
[19:39.320 -> 19:43.800] much attention so I was trying not to. I think when I did, it equaled the feeling of lifting
[19:43.800 -> 19:44.800] a trophy for me.
[19:44.800 -> 19:46.720] Wow, really? Yeah, it me. How did you find out?
[19:46.720 -> 19:50.760] We was training on the pitch. It was obviously before the training session,
[19:50.760 -> 19:52.320] the lads and I, you know, it was like,
[19:52.320 -> 19:55.600] oh, drinks, you want to get called up? And I'm like, no, no, leave it, you've got no chance.
[19:55.600 -> 19:59.440] Like, squad to train kind of thing. And then the kit man, Maka at the time,
[19:59.440 -> 20:03.320] at Leicester ran out, drinks, drinks, you're in the squad. And then kind of training stopped
[20:03.320 -> 20:07.400] and now everyone just buzzing, you know high-fives everywhere and that. Didn't really
[20:07.400 -> 20:12.360] sink in and then when I got home told my dad and yeah probably the first time
[20:12.360 -> 20:15.800] I've seen him cry to be honest. He wasn't as emotional when you won the league?
[20:15.800 -> 20:20.560] No no no no that England call up for him I think was like the big the big thing.
[20:20.560 -> 20:24.800] What did that do for you? Oh yeah it made it's mad init validation everything like
[20:24.800 -> 20:28.440] you know like wow finally made him proud, kind of thing.
[20:28.440 -> 20:31.360] You know, you go from winning the league to like getting your England call up and it's
[20:31.360 -> 20:34.160] like, this is what I've worked kind of so hard for.
[20:34.160 -> 20:38.600] And what was it like when you turned up for your first game at England?
[20:38.600 -> 20:39.600] It was mad.
[20:39.600 -> 20:43.920] I remember, I mean it wasn't the time when like, you know, there was Steven Gerrard,
[20:43.920 -> 20:47.400] Frank Lampard and John Terry's, it wasn't that time when like you know there was Stephen Gerrard, Frank Lampard and John Terry's it wasn't that time but still I'd like
[20:48.440 -> 20:54.800] Unbelievable players who I looked up to for like the majority of my career and I was I mean you look at like Gaz Kael
[20:54.800 -> 20:59.800] There was James Milner, you know players I've played with like throughout England levels schoolboy
[21:00.280 -> 21:02.640] that I would now play in the first team with that was like a
[21:03.600 -> 21:05.360] That was really good man. The first England period for me was I was kind playing in the first team with, that was like a... that was really good man.
[21:05.360 -> 21:10.120] The first England period for me was, I was kind of chuffing myself.
[21:10.120 -> 21:11.960] So Leicester was a fairy tale?
[21:11.960 -> 21:12.960] Yeah.
[21:12.960 -> 21:13.960] England wasn't?
[21:13.960 -> 21:16.600] No, it wasn't, not really.
[21:16.600 -> 21:21.480] After the fourth or fifth time, or maybe even less, third or fourth time, the kind of, the
[21:21.480 -> 21:24.480] shine kind of comes off a bit and the kind of reality hits and that, and I, you know,
[21:24.480 -> 21:27.320] I wasn't really playing. remember my debut got my match
[21:27.320 -> 21:30.960] on my debut and I was thinking fucking like I'm flying like buzzing when's the
[21:30.960 -> 21:34.560] next one you know and I went to the next one didn't really play and I was like
[21:34.560 -> 21:38.840] scratching my head got cut from the Euros and I was like scratching my head again
[21:38.840 -> 21:43.440] thinking what's going on. Let's talk about the Euros cut I mean because that was sort of felt
[21:43.440 -> 21:45.120] from the outside especially brutal.
[21:45.120 -> 21:46.120] How did it feel for you?
[21:46.120 -> 21:48.720] Yeah it was, I didn't expect it at all.
[21:48.720 -> 21:53.960] I remember when they brought Jack Wilshion to the squad, so it was that first, we had
[21:53.960 -> 21:57.200] like a training camp before it, and I know Jack, I've played with him in the schoolboys,
[21:57.200 -> 21:59.880] he's an unbelievable player, unbelievable.
[21:59.880 -> 22:03.480] When he was brought in I kind of knew then, I kind of thought, he's not played all season,
[22:03.480 -> 22:07.680] like what's this about and then we go like a week into the training kind
[22:07.680 -> 22:13.880] of schedule and you get a feeling. So you had Roy Hodgson and Gary Neville there at the time
[22:13.880 -> 22:16.940] now you've obviously got the relationship with Gary from your days at
[22:16.940 -> 22:23.500] United so what what were they saying to you during this period? Not much to be
[22:23.500 -> 22:26.320] honest there wasn't there wasn't like a lot of personal
[22:26.320 -> 22:31.800] interaction to do with the game. It wasn't like do this a bit more and you're going to
[22:31.800 -> 22:38.400] 100% be on the plane. There was none of that. So if you loved Ranieri, how was the relationship
[22:38.400 -> 22:44.000] with Roy? Nowhere near the same. In what way? Well I mean I wouldn't call Roy Otter my grandad,
[22:44.000 -> 22:45.880] I'd call Claudio Ranieri my grandad.
[22:45.880 -> 22:50.720] I just don't think we probably enjoyed each other's characters as much as what me and
[22:50.720 -> 22:52.080] Claudio possibly did.
[22:52.080 -> 22:54.880] And so how do they break the news that you're…
[22:54.880 -> 22:56.960] It was a phone call to the room.
[22:56.960 -> 22:58.840] So it was like, yeah it was mad honestly.
[22:58.840 -> 23:05.720] So before we disappear off duty kind of thing it was right everyone go back to your rooms
[23:05.720 -> 23:10.840] and then we'll call a meeting in like an hour, sound, and then the phone rings and then I
[23:10.840 -> 23:11.840] was like...
[23:11.840 -> 23:12.840] Who rang?
[23:12.840 -> 23:13.840] Roy.
[23:13.840 -> 23:14.840] And I was like I know who this is.
[23:14.840 -> 23:20.120] So I answered, yeah, and then it was obviously Roy, yeah yeah I'll come, he'll wait for me
[23:20.120 -> 23:23.080] to go to his room, so I was like yeah yeah no problem, come down, and on the way down
[23:23.080 -> 23:33.040] I was like, I know I'm cool. So then we obviously just, we spoke, nothing like, you know I think
[23:33.040 -> 23:38.600] it was about this and this, it was just, we just decided with Jack instead of you, you've
[23:38.600 -> 23:42.960] had an unbelievable season kind of thing, don't let it kind of get to you, go and enjoy
[23:42.960 -> 23:49.960] your summer. So I was like... And you said sound? You know and then obviously when when it kind
[23:49.960 -> 23:53.600] of you know when you come off your oldies and you're watching the team and
[23:53.600 -> 23:59.560] then it's like, the fuck? Like I should be there, I should be trying to help them.
[23:59.560 -> 24:04.200] But you know it's been it's been taken out your hands, you can't you can't do
[24:04.200 -> 24:06.520] anything. That would be the closest I've got to
[24:07.400 -> 24:11.640] Possibly playing in the Euros 100% and it's just been taken away. Do you know I mean?
[24:12.000 -> 24:16.760] But what's interesting is like you spoke about Claudio Ranieri and it wasn't big things
[24:16.760 -> 24:21.640] He was doing to build that relationship. So was there some small things that you think?
[24:21.960 -> 24:24.720] Yeah, they could have done that better or I mean with me personally
[24:24.720 -> 24:28.800] It was a bit it was it felt almost a bit prison-y, like international
[24:28.800 -> 24:32.600] football, you know you'd go to St George's Park and you'd be in St George's Park for
[24:32.600 -> 24:38.120] 4, 5, 6 days whatever and you're literally stuck in the hotel, like I live an hour away
[24:38.120 -> 24:44.160] from that, so I don't know to get the best out of each player could you not give them
[24:44.160 -> 24:45.520] the option of maybe living at home and travelling in? I don't know to get the best out of each player could could you not give them the option of maybe
[24:51.700 -> 24:52.360] Living at home and traveling in I don't know possibly. I mean I used to travel further to Leicester, so that to me was like
[24:57.480 -> 24:57.760] Walking a park well, let's move forwards then so the England thing happens you go back to Leicester
[25:00.200 -> 25:01.160] You get to the quarterfinals of the Champions League amazing
[25:12.000 -> 25:17.160] I'd love to know how you first heard of Chelsea's interest it It was the season after we won the Prem. So I was aware of that through the whole summer. I think it was through my agent and stuff, there was quite a lot of contact. And then
[25:17.160 -> 25:22.560] the N'Golo Kante deal happened and they had a bit of a falling out between the clubs over
[25:22.560 -> 25:27.600] the deal. So then they kind of come back and was like, listen, we still want to get this done.
[25:27.600 -> 25:32.200] You know, but the relationships kind of fell off between us and Leicester.
[25:32.200 -> 25:35.800] I was like, listen, I want to stay for this Champions League thing anyway.
[25:35.800 -> 25:39.300] Let's, you know, revisit it, whatever.
[25:39.300 -> 25:43.500] And then the January window come and we were still in the Champions League.
[25:43.500 -> 25:47.400] So I was like, I'm not leaving this there's just no chance and
[25:48.200 -> 25:50.240] Then obviously I think it was it February
[25:50.240 -> 25:51.560] I think we might have fell out the Champions League
[25:51.560 -> 25:56.040] So I think then from coming out the Champions League to the end of the season
[25:56.680 -> 26:00.360] Unless that it was always a bit like I felt imbalanced
[26:00.360 -> 26:04.200] You know I was saying before about my balance and like I felt then it was a bit of an imbalance
[26:04.200 -> 26:08.320] I kind of knew I was going to Chelsea, it was just really hard
[26:08.320 -> 26:10.400] work to get out, really hard work.
[26:10.400 -> 26:11.680] How do you mean?
[26:11.680 -> 26:15.920] It wasn't done in the right way for me, it got a bit like, it got a bit silly really.
[26:15.920 -> 26:17.720] Can you give us an example?
[26:17.720 -> 26:21.980] The director had been meeting and I'd have to barge in and like try and cause a scene
[26:21.980 -> 26:28.840] just to get an answer out of him, do you know what I mean? It shouldn't have been like that. It should have been like, thanks, just sit tight, we
[26:28.840 -> 26:33.600] just want this much, just be patient, it's going to happen. That's how I would have liked
[26:33.600 -> 26:37.680] it to have gone. But you know, it just got a bit silly.
[26:37.680 -> 26:39.720] So when you barge in, what are you saying?
[26:39.720 -> 26:44.000] Well, just the typical angry little Danny, aren't I? Get a fucking deal done, what's
[26:44.000 -> 26:45.800] going on? And they say?
[26:45.800 -> 26:47.800] I'm in a meeting, like, what?
[26:47.800 -> 26:49.800] Get a fucking deal done!
[26:49.800 -> 26:51.800] And it was just silly, it was just getting daft.
[26:51.800 -> 26:57.800] And I remember, even Riyadh's got a bit, you know, it was never easy getting out.
[26:57.800 -> 27:00.800] I mean, it never is really getting out of a club, to be honest.
[27:00.800 -> 27:03.800] And it's not one I wanted to leave, it's just I had to leave.
[27:03.800 -> 27:09.520] I knew, like, that that kind of completed its journey and there was no chance I was missing
[27:09.520 -> 27:13.600] out on this opportunity so it just it just needed to happen and it was just
[27:13.600 -> 27:17.040] it was just a shame the way it did. And do you think you managed to influence
[27:17.040 -> 27:22.140] what happened in the end? 100%. So the deal happens? Deal happens. They don't want an
[27:22.140 -> 27:29.000] angry Danny staying at Leicester. No,ester. Do you think that maybe they thought that? Yeah, I mean going back to your
[27:29.000 -> 27:35.520] main night, honestly I used to be, I remember Ollie, Warren Joyce and a few
[27:35.520 -> 27:38.680] of the reserve managers, I think we're in at McPheel and I think we're in the meeting at the time
[27:38.680 -> 27:41.040] and they were like, are you sure like this is what you want to do? Play football?
[27:41.040 -> 27:45.600] I was like, what do you mean? Yeah, don't know what else I'm going
[27:45.600 -> 27:47.840] to do. You just seem like so angry all the time.
[27:47.840 -> 27:52.080] Oh right, okay. They couldn't see the enjoyment that you were getting out of it.
[27:52.080 -> 27:55.720] It was just my way of expressing as a young kid, you know what I mean.
[27:55.720 -> 27:56.720] What did that do for you?
[27:56.720 -> 28:01.360] I mean I'd like to say it fired me up. I'd like to say it made sure I didn't do the mistake
[28:01.360 -> 28:08.200] again. You know, it was my way of learning kind of thing but if I could look at it a different way, 100% I would have done. I just didn't have the
[28:08.200 -> 28:14.360] tools to do it, you know, I just didn't know how to speak kindly to myself to then learn
[28:14.360 -> 28:20.280] from kind of like a bad pass or like a, you know, a crap shot or a bad touch or something,
[28:20.280 -> 28:23.320] you know, it was always like, fuck's sake, come on you, what are you doing? It's kind
[28:23.320 -> 28:25.000] of my reaction to stuff.
[28:25.000 -> 28:31.000] And did you have the tools at Leicester before you got angry to try and have like a civil conversation first?
[28:31.000 -> 28:33.000] With myself? No. No.
[28:33.000 -> 28:34.000] You just, you...
[28:34.000 -> 28:36.000] It was just like 0 to 10 pretty much.
[28:36.000 -> 28:40.000] Like, so if I was doing all the good passes, all the right passes, and then...
[28:40.000 -> 28:43.000] I wouldn't be like, well done mate, like, well done.
[28:43.000 -> 28:44.000] I would just be like...
[28:44.000 -> 28:46.000] Oh, so you wouldn't give yourself the pat on the back?
[28:46.000 -> 28:47.000] No, not really, no.
[28:47.000 -> 28:49.800] Looking back now, I'm thinking like, why didn't you?
[28:49.800 -> 28:52.400] Some of your stuff you used to do, mate, you used to be class.
[28:52.400 -> 28:53.800] So where does that come from then?
[28:53.800 -> 28:55.400] Like, my dad's exactly the same.
[28:55.400 -> 28:58.000] If not me on steroids, like, he's so bad with it.
[28:58.000 -> 29:02.400] So my dad's like, he works in labour, like he's a building trade,
[29:02.400 -> 29:07.800] but honestly, like, if you listened to him trying to fix a radiator, you'd be thinking a bomb went off.
[29:07.800 -> 29:09.960] And it's like, what the fuck am I listening to here?
[29:09.960 -> 29:11.680] And was he tough with you as a lad?
[29:11.680 -> 29:12.680] Yeah, yeah.
[29:12.680 -> 29:13.680] But nothing out of the ordinary?
[29:13.680 -> 29:14.680] No, nothing out of the ordinary, no.
[29:14.680 -> 29:19.280] I just, you know, I think it was just, again, I don't think he had the tools to know how
[29:19.280 -> 29:23.240] to deal with things differently and I think I just kind of like picked up on stuff kind
[29:23.240 -> 29:24.240] of on the way through.
[29:24.240 -> 29:27.640] So, as a father now yourself, what would you do
[29:28.340 -> 29:32.820] differently than what your dad did for you when you're watching your lad play football?
[29:32.900 -> 29:39.140] Oh everything, everything different. To be honest with my little man, I don't think a little part of me has been like
[29:39.660 -> 29:44.220] pushing him into football. Kind of like do what you want to do mate, do what you want to do.
[29:44.740 -> 29:49.300] So you're trying to get out of Leicester, right? Were you able to use these tools,
[29:49.300 -> 29:53.260] like positive tools to get out or did you go straight to the angry Danny as
[29:53.260 -> 29:54.880] soon as you thought the deal wasn't going to happen?
[29:54.880 -> 29:59.220] No, I remember it was Craig Shakespeare all the time, he was the manager, and I remember going to him saying,
[29:59.220 -> 30:04.360] Shakespeare, listen, you know this needs to happen. Gut it, it's underneath you, I don't want to leave you.
[30:04.360 -> 30:07.000] But you know, the opportunity is just too good.
[30:07.000 -> 30:11.000] It's been sat there for a bit, I can't not go.
[30:11.000 -> 30:13.000] Then we kind of talk as people, you know,
[30:13.000 -> 30:14.000] are you sure you'll be happy in London?
[30:14.000 -> 30:16.000] Yeah I think I'd love it to be honest.
[30:16.000 -> 30:21.000] And then it's like, you know, you kind of look at it from outside of football
[30:21.000 -> 30:24.000] and then he'd be like, I don't know what they're going to do, drinks, to be honest,
[30:24.000 -> 30:26.000] but just be patient maybe.
[30:26.000 -> 30:30.000] There's not much I can do without shakes. This needs to happen.
[30:30.000 -> 30:36.000] This might sound a silly question, because I get moving to Chelsea is exciting, but what was it for you?
[30:36.000 -> 30:43.000] Was it the idea of getting to that top four club that you had from United, or was it the financial incentive?
[30:43.000 -> 30:45.680] What was it that was driving you to be so desperate?
[30:45.680 -> 30:48.160] No, it was that burning in the background
[30:48.160 -> 30:49.160] getting back to a top four.
[30:49.160 -> 30:51.920] It was me wanting to prove people wrong again.
[30:51.920 -> 30:52.920] Like United told me,
[30:52.920 -> 30:55.480] but I'm going to get back there, don't worry about that.
[30:55.480 -> 30:57.320] Obviously, listen, the finances are great.
[30:57.320 -> 30:58.760] Like, you know, you're getting put,
[30:58.760 -> 31:01.120] you was on so much and then you're getting put on this much.
[31:01.120 -> 31:01.880] Yeah.
[31:01.880 -> 31:06.300] But it was always about that top four, yeah? And being like regular
[31:06.300 -> 31:10.600] Champions League, Europa Cup, all them big tournaments, it was all about that.
[31:10.600 -> 31:12.600] So shall we talk then about life at Chelsea?
[31:12.600 -> 31:14.600] Yeah, yeah, of course, yeah.
[31:14.600 -> 31:20.400] People will make that assumption, 35 million quid, whatever, who's paid for you, phenomenal
[31:20.400 -> 31:25.760] wages, living in London, back at a top club. What was the reality of that move like?
[31:25.760 -> 31:32.040] As a whole it was obviously garbage, but if you break it down, I had some unbelievable
[31:32.040 -> 31:38.680] times there. Not unbelievable, but really good times. So the first day was madness,
[31:38.680 -> 31:46.000] like literally it was, left Leicester, deal hadn't been done. And from what I know, I don't think Leicester planned to get it done.
[31:46.000 -> 31:51.000] Drove down, sat down there with my agent and a few other people.
[31:51.000 -> 31:54.000] Was in like a hotel for majority of the day.
[31:54.000 -> 31:59.000] And then we got an extension on the deadline because it was never done in time.
[31:59.000 -> 32:03.000] I remember, so Michael Emman all of the time, you know, he's like,
[32:03.000 -> 32:05.200] bear in mind I think it was like
[32:05.200 -> 32:06.200] 1, 2 o'clock in the morning.
[32:06.200 -> 32:07.200] He was the director of football at Chelsea.
[32:07.200 -> 32:08.200] Yeah yeah correct yeah.
[32:08.200 -> 32:11.640] And then he's like you know shouting down the corridor, let's get this deal done and
[32:11.640 -> 32:14.360] all this and I'm sat there thinking fuck you know what's going on.
[32:14.360 -> 32:17.280] And anyway we get the extension and signed it and all that and Michael's still in his
[32:17.280 -> 32:23.560] office so I've walked down like sheepish and I've like put like a face on, Mike's like
[32:23.560 -> 32:49.300] not got the deal done, it's not been done it's like fucking what and I'm all over it.
[32:49.300 -> 32:52.200] I'm thinking, wow, this guy's a genius.
[32:52.200 -> 32:57.600] And tactically, he looked way better than anything else I've ever seen.
[32:57.600 -> 33:01.200] But it was more about, when we'd speak, it'd be more about, I'm excited to get you at the
[33:01.200 -> 33:05.780] club, you know, you'll kind of look like the player that'll slide right in and all the right things
[33:06.780 -> 33:12.200] When do you think things first started no longer going right at Chelsea?
[33:13.260 -> 33:18.800] So, I mean the first season was a bit tricky, you know, I picked up like three or four niggly little injuries that were just
[33:19.800 -> 33:22.600] I mean, it's just part of football really you can't really point any things like that
[33:23.040 -> 33:26.000] Was there any part of you that was acting like differently?
[33:26.000 -> 33:31.000] Because you've been a great pro to this point, were you suddenly earning loads of money,
[33:31.000 -> 33:35.000] out on the lash, having a bit of fun in London, not fully focused on your football?
[33:35.000 -> 33:37.000] Like had you changed?
[33:37.000 -> 33:39.000] In the second season, 100%.
[33:39.000 -> 33:40.000] Not in the first season?
[33:40.000 -> 33:41.000] No, no.
[33:41.000 -> 33:42.000] You arrived and you were...
[33:42.000 -> 33:48.720] I was on it, yeah, I was dying to get going. It was never the fee that bothered me, that was like, that's just separate, it
[33:48.720 -> 33:53.640] was more like, I need to prove myself again now. You know, I've ticked a box by getting
[33:53.640 -> 33:57.600] back to a top four, now I need to stay there kind of thing and prove to myself, not about
[33:57.600 -> 34:03.120] anyone else, it's myself now. And then, you know, you kind of get the injury, you know,
[34:03.120 -> 34:05.280] it's like, right, okay, go again, come
[34:05.280 -> 34:06.360] back.
[34:06.360 -> 34:10.760] And then it was literally at the end of that season, like with Chelsea, I had this one
[34:10.760 -> 34:15.400] moment I disappointed massively and can't say too much, but hopefully, you know, in
[34:15.400 -> 34:18.280] the future it's going to get solved, that kind of thing.
[34:18.280 -> 34:23.960] But that summer, after that, I was like, I need to go.
[34:23.960 -> 34:26.120] This just isn't for me this is it's not
[34:26.120 -> 34:32.040] really worked from the get-go and then this has happened so I could do with
[34:32.040 -> 34:35.960] going here this isn't gonna go any better and I remember in that first
[34:35.960 -> 34:40.920] season I moved I like I bought a big house to move all my family down all my
[34:40.920 -> 34:50.760] dogs everything have a good go of it and I was ready to just like forget about that and just go where I needed to get just so like my career
[34:50.760 -> 34:56.400] would kind of not go the way it's gone. So you had to get out? I was I was trying
[34:56.400 -> 35:01.680] to leave that first window. I appreciate the confidences but what was it was it a
[35:01.680 -> 35:06.000] personal or was it a professional thing? I mean no, it was... I mean, I can't say too much yet, I don't think,
[35:06.000 -> 35:08.000] but it was to do with the club, yeah.
[35:13.000 -> 35:18.000] These days, every new potential hire can feel like a high-stakes wager
[35:18.000 -> 35:19.000] for your small business.
[35:19.000 -> 35:22.000] You want to be 100% certain that you have access
[35:22.000 -> 35:24.000] to the best qualified candidates available.
[35:24.000 -> 35:28.160] That's why you have to check out LinkedIn jobs. LinkedIn jobs helps
[35:28.160 -> 35:33.320] find the right people for your team faster and for free. Post your job for
[35:33.320 -> 35:40.160] free at LinkedIn.com slash hard work. That's LinkedIn.com slash hard work to
[35:40.160 -> 35:44.540] post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. At Fred Meyer, shopping
[35:44.540 -> 35:45.600] with pickup and delivery
[35:45.600 -> 35:47.480] is the same as shopping in store.
[35:47.480 -> 35:50.280] Same low prices, deals, and rewards
[35:50.280 -> 35:52.160] on the same high quality items.
[35:52.160 -> 35:54.000] It's one small click for groceries,
[35:54.000 -> 35:56.720] one big win for busy families everywhere.
[35:56.720 -> 35:59.240] Start your cart today at fredmeyer.com.
[35:59.240 -> 36:01.280] Fred Meyer, fresh for everyone.
[36:01.280 -> 36:03.320] Restrictions apply, see site for details.
[36:03.320 -> 36:05.680] And right now, you can save when you shop your faves.
[36:05.960 -> 36:10.040] Just buy six or more participating sale items and save 50 cents each with your card.
[36:10.400 -> 36:12.400] Fred Meyer, fresh for everyone.
[36:15.520 -> 36:20.920] On our podcast, we love to highlight businesses that are doing things a better way so you can live a better life.
[36:21.160 -> 36:24.240] And that's why when I found Mint Mobile, I had to share.
[36:24.560 -> 36:29.180] So Mint Mobile ditched retail stores and all those overhead costs and instead sells
[36:29.180 -> 36:33.620] their phone plans online and passes those savings to you. And for a limited
[36:33.620 -> 36:37.140] time they're passing on even more savings with a new customer offer that
[36:37.140 -> 36:42.180] cuts all Mint Mobile plans to $15 a month when you purchase a three month
[36:42.180 -> 36:48.720] plan. That's unlimited talk, text and data for $15 a
[36:48.720 -> 36:54.240] month. And by the way, the quality of Mint Mobile's wireless service in comparison to providers that
[36:54.240 -> 37:00.720] we've worked with before is incredible. Mint Mobile is here to rescue you with premium wireless plans
[37:00.720 -> 37:05.120] for $15 a month. So say goodbye to your overpriced wireless plans,
[37:05.120 -> 37:09.800] those jaw-dropping monthly bills, those unexpected overages, because all the plans come with
[37:09.800 -> 37:15.880] unlimited talk and text and high-speed data delivered on the nation's largest 5G network.
[37:15.880 -> 37:20.360] Use your own phone with any Mint Mobile plan, bring your phone number along with all your
[37:20.360 -> 37:26.540] existing contacts. So ditch overpriced wireless with Mint Mobile's limited time deal and get premium wireless
[37:26.540 -> 37:29.480] service for just $15 a month.
[37:29.480 -> 37:34.440] To get this new customer offer and your new 3 month unlimited wireless plan for just $15
[37:34.440 -> 37:41.680] a month, go to mintmobile.com.hpp.
[37:41.680 -> 37:47.000] Cut your wireless bill to $15 a month at mintmobile.com slash HPP.
[37:47.000 -> 37:53.000] Additional taxes, fees and restrictions apply. See Mint Mobile for details.
[37:56.000 -> 38:00.000] So basically you've arrived at Chelsea. The very first opportunity to leave.
[38:00.000 -> 38:06.000] You feel you need to go. And to this day you're unable to tell people what it was.
[38:06.000 -> 38:11.000] It wasn't, it was before, so what I can't say happened before I wanted to go, so it was
[38:11.000 -> 38:16.000] it was me then thinking like this is, it's just not for me like I need to go.
[38:16.000 -> 38:21.000] So that was previous and now in the summer I'm trying to leave and then
[38:21.000 -> 38:29.560] my agent's saying listen like they're not letting you go you getting another manager in stick around she's not letting you go stick
[38:29.560 -> 38:34.920] around so I'm like what the fuck right okay I'm making out like you know me
[38:34.920 -> 38:39.280] staying at Chelsea is a really bad thing still a great thing but when you get a
[38:39.280 -> 38:46.000] feeling I kind of I knew it wasn't gonna go the way I wanted it to go, but it was just out
[38:46.000 -> 38:47.000] of my hands at that point.
[38:47.000 -> 38:51.960] And if you were able to tell people now what had happened, would they have a greater understanding
[38:51.960 -> 38:55.480] of what happened afterwards and why things got so difficult?
[38:55.480 -> 38:56.480] Possibly, yeah.
[38:56.480 -> 38:58.660] It'd make more sense.
[38:58.660 -> 39:02.680] So although we can't talk about that moment specifically, you can tell us the impact it
[39:02.680 -> 39:03.680] had on you?
[39:03.680 -> 39:08.240] I mean you can see the impact. The season after, didn't play a single minute, you know
[39:08.240 -> 39:13.120] that's when we go back to what you were saying a second ago where I'd get stuck into the
[39:13.120 -> 39:19.400] London City life, you know I'd be partying way more than what I kind of want to do and
[39:19.400 -> 39:22.320] my focus wasn't on football for the first time.
[39:22.320 -> 39:29.240] And you use that term balance quite a few times so it sounds now that things have gone completely out of balance. I'm
[39:29.240 -> 39:33.860] interested in who was around you to remind you of that balance or to help
[39:33.860 -> 39:39.200] you try and find a better place. I mean it was more it was probably me to be
[39:39.200 -> 39:41.800] honest looking in the mirror kind of thing it wasn't it wasn't coming
[39:41.800 -> 39:48.100] externally you know I'd be going into training knowing I wasn't playing and sometimes not even training it was
[39:48.100 -> 39:53.360] it was so strange like I'd go to training and I'd be doing fitness on my
[39:53.360 -> 39:57.200] own whilst the lads were training and I've never been in that position in my
[39:57.200 -> 40:01.720] life and I was like what is going on here this is so foreign to me this and
[40:01.720 -> 40:05.640] it's like, the fuck?
[40:05.640 -> 40:10.160] I'm here to play football, not to like, you know, an athletics runner.
[40:10.160 -> 40:12.000] Like get me on the pitch.
[40:12.000 -> 40:16.520] Didn't you try and have a conversation with the club and say, listen, let's just sort
[40:16.520 -> 40:17.520] this out.
[40:17.520 -> 40:19.000] Like this isn't working for anybody.
[40:19.000 -> 40:21.160] At the start I did.
[40:21.160 -> 40:24.540] It was Sari, who's a great guy by the way, and we got along top.
[40:24.540 -> 40:28.560] It was so strange, like we got along top. I just don't think we've seen eye to eye, I don't
[40:28.560 -> 40:34.300] even know if it was from him, looking back now, but I was given an hour to find an English
[40:34.300 -> 40:36.400] club and I was like, what are you fucking doing?
[40:36.400 -> 40:41.320] So we had the meeting, he pulled me into his office, this is like an hour before the window
[40:41.320 -> 40:42.320] closes.
[40:42.320 -> 40:43.720] This is under Sari now?
[40:43.720 -> 40:46.720] Under Sari, yeah, and Gianfranco was's in there, who's again a really nice guy.
[40:46.720 -> 40:52.120] And we're talking, just having chat, and then he goes,
[40:52.120 -> 40:54.480] we need to, let's talk serious kind of thing.
[40:54.480 -> 40:57.440] I think you're going to get frustrated with your playing time this season.
[40:57.440 -> 40:58.440] I'm like, what?
[40:58.440 -> 41:01.640] Where's this, like, you know, they just signed Jorginho,
[41:01.640 -> 41:02.840] kind of thing, which is fair.
[41:02.840 -> 41:07.000] But, you know, I'd been a part of his pre-season plans and stuff, I was always playing games.
[41:07.000 -> 41:13.000] I'm like, where's this come from? And then Gianfranco, and I was like, I've got an hour, what's going on?
[41:13.000 -> 41:16.000] No, no, like, you know, there's a load of Italian clubs that are...
[41:16.000 -> 41:19.000] What the fuck, I've just had a kid, I ain't going anywhere.
[41:21.000 -> 41:23.000] So what do you want me to do? He's like, oh.
[41:23.000 -> 41:25.000] So I was like, what the fuck? So I just walked out.
[41:25.000 -> 41:29.000] It was difficult on that because I was in a position there where, you know, first of
[41:29.000 -> 41:35.000] all it was a surprise, and then secondly it's going way against what I wanted.
[41:35.000 -> 41:41.000] So then it's like, they will just go to Italy or go to Spain in the leagues and then, I'm
[41:41.000 -> 41:44.000] like, nah man, my priority is my kid, like you've got no chance.
[41:44.000 -> 41:50.560] Like, this is all changed now. I'm sticking in, this is me, I'm settling here.
[41:50.560 -> 41:55.240] There was talk of Cesc going at the time, but then, you know, he stayed,
[41:55.240 -> 41:59.160] Jorginho came in, so I knew it'd be hard work, I knew it wasn't gonna be easy,
[41:59.160 -> 42:04.120] but I did not want to become a part of that loan market that Chelsea's got, it
[42:04.120 -> 42:07.000] was just never in my plans when I joined, ever.
[42:07.000 -> 42:11.000] You've walked out of the office, you've decided that I'm going to stay here.
[42:11.000 -> 42:12.000] Yeah.
[42:12.000 -> 42:15.000] How did you go about resetting expectations?
[42:15.000 -> 42:16.000] If you did.
[42:16.000 -> 42:17.000] I think a part of me did.
[42:17.000 -> 42:19.000] A part of me didn't want to let it go though.
[42:19.000 -> 42:22.000] I was literally going in training and my mindset totally changed.
[42:22.000 -> 42:25.120] So like, in the past I'd go into training
[42:25.120 -> 42:27.600] and I'd be 100% on it every day.
[42:27.600 -> 42:29.760] I'd be grafting, I'd be probably,
[42:29.760 -> 42:31.480] I'd like to say I'd work just as hard
[42:31.480 -> 42:32.520] as the hardest person on the pitch,
[42:32.520 -> 42:33.520] you know, but I'd have my off days
[42:33.520 -> 42:36.080] where I'd get pissed off or whatever, like natural.
[42:36.080 -> 42:38.640] But I was now going into training
[42:38.640 -> 42:41.560] just to keep people entertained.
[42:41.560 -> 42:44.600] Like I'd go in and be like, on the drive in,
[42:44.600 -> 42:45.040] I'd be like, right, drinks, just fucking, just don't be like on the drive in I'll be like right
[42:45.040 -> 42:49.120] drinks just fucking just don't be a c*** today kind of thing just be a nice guy
[42:49.120 -> 42:53.120] like don't let it piss you off too much you know if you can make people laugh
[42:53.120 -> 42:58.140] did you feel you'd been forced into this? you know football's controlled by
[42:58.140 -> 43:01.640] transfer windows anyway so I knew as soon as this one went I had another four
[43:01.640 -> 43:09.420] or five months until January so it was like just get on with it and then that window come and I was like you know I
[43:09.420 -> 43:12.740] didn't have a schedule with my son at the time it was still all over the place with
[43:12.740 -> 43:19.560] custody kind of thing but I was still not willing to to go to then mess that
[43:19.560 -> 43:24.220] up even more because that was my priority so I think it was taken out my
[43:24.220 -> 43:25.200] hands I didn't have,
[43:25.200 -> 43:29.280] there's nothing really that I could have done better at that stage.
[43:29.280 -> 43:30.920] What do you reflect on as the lowest point?
[43:30.920 -> 43:36.600] I'd probably say that season, yeah. I just think the whole season was just tough, it
[43:36.600 -> 43:41.960] was so hard. Because then, you know, I've got things happening off the pitch, and then
[43:41.960 -> 43:46.520] things are not happening how I'd like to on the pitch and you know we talked
[43:46.520 -> 43:51.320] about we said about balance again like if shit hits the fan off the pitch but it's going
[43:51.320 -> 43:57.040] good on the pitch you can kind of juggle it a bit whereas if both are like all over the
[43:57.040 -> 44:01.800] place you just don't know how to like react to anything it was it was a strange position.
[44:01.800 -> 44:07.200] And what came first was it the off the field problems you think precipitated what went on on it or was
[44:07.200 -> 44:11.360] it the other way around? I don't think it was one or the other I just think at the
[44:11.360 -> 44:16.080] time you know like that was the club's decision and the manager's decision and
[44:16.080 -> 44:21.560] then this is kind of happening and it just kind of all like fitted in where I
[44:21.560 -> 44:26.340] just didn't know really how to manage myself.
[44:26.340 -> 44:32.600] We had a conversation with Jordan Henderson who spoke about again almost lacking the tools
[44:32.600 -> 44:38.740] to be able to handle some of the professional challenges. He was coming home and he almost
[44:38.740 -> 44:45.000] wouldn't open up to his wife and that created issues that he eventually managed to resolve.
[44:45.000 -> 44:50.000] And I'm interested in what this professional situation was doing for you,
[44:50.000 -> 44:53.000] going home and dealing with some of the challenges you were facing.
[44:53.000 -> 44:59.000] I was a single ad in London at the time, so I was, you know, without giving too much detail away,
[44:59.000 -> 45:06.360] I was like, I was being a single ad in London. I was getting stuck into living in the city, I was
[45:06.360 -> 45:11.320] trying to enjoy that side of life as a kind of cover for everything else basically.
[45:11.320 -> 45:15.600] You know that's what I'd use to kind of enjoy myself because everything else was going pretty
[45:15.600 -> 45:16.600] shitty.
[45:16.600 -> 45:22.760] You look back now and it was, you know I'd be going out drinking, I'd be single like
[45:22.760 -> 45:26.000] I said so I'd be getting older like any bird I can. It was
[45:26.000 -> 45:31.840] just mad. It was just not me as a focused footballer, do you know what I mean?
[45:31.840 -> 45:36.800] People will look at this and go, you're earning huge money, you've got a huge football club,
[45:36.800 -> 45:41.860] you don't even have to go to work, you can just be your own guy, you're in the capital
[45:41.860 -> 45:46.480] of England and you're single, you must have been having
[45:46.480 -> 45:49.560] a great time. What is the reality?
[45:49.560 -> 45:55.300] I mean it does sound great to be fair, sounds great, but when everything's not going right
[45:55.300 -> 46:01.360] and you've got that, that is irrelevant. It's secondary, like earning the wage is absolutely
[46:01.360 -> 46:05.320] pointless, it doesn't mean a thing. I think anyone thinking
[46:05.320 -> 46:11.280] earning a good amount of money is gonna solve all your problems is just it's
[46:11.280 -> 46:15.360] just not true at all you know and then you've got like you're playing for
[46:15.360 -> 46:19.360] Chelsea you're earning all that money like I said you know but like I'm not
[46:19.360 -> 46:22.200] playing for Chelsea yeah I'm earning money kind of thing but I'm not playing
[46:22.200 -> 46:29.920] I'm not earning it how I want to earn it. For me it's a kick in the bollocks really. And then you get, you know, you're
[46:29.920 -> 46:37.000] waking up with like a hangover and then it's like fuck, kind of last night's, you know,
[46:37.000 -> 46:40.040] happiness has kind of disappeared and stuff and it's back to reality and then you're going
[46:40.040 -> 46:44.960] like right I've got to go into training now and not kind of train. So I'm not getting
[46:44.960 -> 46:45.200] like that enjoyment out of work. I mean I'm trying to go into training now and not kind of train so I'm not getting like
[46:45.200 -> 46:49.600] that enjoyment out of work. I mean I'm trying to put it into perspective for people so I
[46:49.600 -> 46:55.200] mean imagine like you're going to an office job maybe and you go into the office and it's
[46:55.200 -> 47:01.760] not a place where you want to be because the people you're working with, working for, don't
[47:01.760 -> 47:05.920] want you, exactly don't want you but you're going in there, you're putting on a brave face
[47:06.320 -> 47:11.900] and you're trying to make the best of it. How unhappy were you? Yeah, I was unhappy man, yeah.
[47:11.900 -> 47:15.280] I mean, listen, I loved certain parts of it,
[47:15.840 -> 47:22.520] like outside of football, I loved it. But as soon as I was in the car on the way in, I was like, fuck.
[47:23.560 -> 47:27.000] But we always have high agency, right, over our lives.
[47:27.000 -> 47:30.000] We always can decide how we react to certain situations.
[47:30.000 -> 47:35.000] You know, no one else was making you go out and drink and have a great time
[47:35.000 -> 47:37.000] and everything else, right?
[47:37.000 -> 47:40.000] So, why were you not able to just press stop on this and go,
[47:40.000 -> 47:45.560] right, the best thing for me is to still be as professional as possible.
[47:45.560 -> 47:50.120] I mean I'd like to think I was to be honest like I know I was drinking and doing all that
[47:50.120 -> 47:56.480] stuff that we've discussed but I'd still go into training and I'd make sure I was as good
[47:56.480 -> 48:00.800] as I could be for the lads. That was my only way I could be professional around the place
[48:00.800 -> 48:07.640] 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
[48:07.640 -> 48:10.440] in the day kind of helped them, but...
[48:10.440 -> 48:13.200] But you got arrested and charged with drink driving?
[48:13.200 -> 48:14.480] No, there was times where...
[48:14.480 -> 48:16.720] That's not taking control of your life?
[48:16.720 -> 48:23.120] No, accountability is massive for me, I mean, that was a massive wake-up sign for me, like, massive.
[48:23.120 -> 48:25.720] Because I remember I was in the cell for I think it
[48:25.720 -> 48:29.760] was 23 hours I was in it and you know they usually take two or three hours on things
[48:29.760 -> 48:37.640] I think and I was in there and I was obviously like I'm sobering up and I'm in this cell
[48:37.640 -> 48:43.160] and I'm thinking what the fuck are you doing mate this is not you at all it's not you as
[48:43.160 -> 48:49.240] a person it's not how you want to be as a person, like you need to get hold of yourself here. You know and that's when I
[48:49.240 -> 48:56.040] started seeking outside help with it all. So I was then speaking to like you know
[48:56.040 -> 49:00.160] psychologists and stuff saying listen like something's not right here, this
[49:00.160 -> 49:07.240] isn't me, like I need kind of some direction, some something, some other focus to improve
[49:07.240 -> 49:08.240] myself again.
[49:08.240 -> 49:13.040] And what was the advice coming back to you from these experts?
[49:13.040 -> 49:19.360] Do you know, one thing that's always stuck in my head, what they've, what they said was,
[49:19.360 -> 49:22.920] they say about spinning plates, I mean it's quite, I think it's quite a well known thing
[49:22.920 -> 49:27.320] now but, you know, if you're trying to spin so many plates there's only so many kind of
[49:27.320 -> 49:32.360] like plates you can spin at once. I was trying to spin so many at one time it
[49:32.360 -> 49:37.200] was just getting way too much. So then I think you know slowly like things
[49:37.200 -> 49:41.840] started to like come together a bit and then everything got a bit lighter you
[49:41.840 -> 49:45.200] know so I wasn't going out drinking as much.
[49:45.200 -> 49:50.120] I'd go out when I want to go out, you know, I wasn't doing maybe as rushed
[49:50.120 -> 49:52.560] things as what I was doing in the first six months.
[49:52.560 -> 49:56.880] Would you mind sharing with us, because I think it is so valuable for people to
[49:56.880 -> 50:03.080] hear a former professional footballer talk about this, your mental health.
[50:03.080 -> 50:09.120] I think it's huge, man. I think mental health is probably more important than your physical
[50:09.120 -> 50:13.240] health to be honest. You know you've got, you can be physically fit but if you're not
[50:13.240 -> 50:19.160] mentally well you're gonna, your body's gonna break down. You know so I think priority every
[50:19.160 -> 50:21.640] day of the week should be mental health, 100%.
[50:21.640 -> 50:23.760] Now mentally unwell were you?
[50:23.760 -> 50:26.120] I'm not sure if I was in the
[50:26.120 -> 50:31.220] deepest hole but I was, it's the darkest I've ever felt, 100%. You know I've
[50:31.220 -> 50:34.480] always been about, I've always been the kind of personality that I'll be like, you know,
[50:34.480 -> 50:37.680] just get on with it, brush things, you know the typical like kind of man stuff but
[50:37.680 -> 50:46.360] during that stage I just couldn't shift anything. It was almost like you're drowning a bit and you forgot
[50:46.360 -> 50:47.360] how to swim.
[50:47.360 -> 50:53.560] And with an upbringing that you've had, did you feel it was your responsibility to deal
[50:53.560 -> 50:54.560] with that alone?
[50:54.560 -> 50:59.880] Yep. And everyone else's. They can't see it. Don't let them see it. You can't hurt them.
[50:59.880 -> 51:04.280] I mean, I feel like I get a bit upset, but it makes it a bit more harder for me when
[51:04.280 -> 51:08.800] family's involved. That's what gets me.
[51:08.800 -> 51:13.120] Just the responsibility of like making them possibly feel a bit shit as well.
[51:13.120 -> 51:15.840] Do you feel you let them down?
[51:15.840 -> 51:16.840] Yeah.
[51:16.840 -> 51:22.480] So what did your mum and dad say when you came out of the cell?
[51:22.480 -> 51:25.000] They're obviously disappointed like any parent would be do you know I mean
[51:25.000 -> 51:29.000] But I think they kind of knew as well like I wasn't being myself
[51:29.000 -> 51:35.000] So I don't think they like didn't held it against me because they knew like I was going through from outside
[51:35.000 -> 51:42.000] It looked a bit shitty, but you know, they obviously like close to me. So they kind of know it's shitty bit stupid in it done
[51:42.000 -> 51:46.000] Yeah, like kind of let me go with it kind of thing.
[51:46.000 -> 51:49.000] Did you tell them how hard it was?
[51:49.000 -> 51:54.200] Not at first, no. Not at first. No. Because I didn't want to put any responsibility on
[51:54.200 -> 51:58.640] them. You know what I mean? I think when you're going through these things, you almost like
[51:58.640 -> 52:06.480] kind of bring everything in. And then, you know, and then it obviously gets too much, then it's just literally like,
[52:06.480 -> 52:09.760] like, it's like a flood.
[52:09.760 -> 52:11.680] I've never really been through that before.
[52:11.680 -> 52:14.320] I've never had to deal with it before.
[52:14.320 -> 52:16.840] So this was like my first low point.
[52:16.840 -> 52:22.280] So again, I was, I was just a bit like, what's going on here?
[52:22.280 -> 52:24.120] Like, why do I feel like, you know, loads of questions.
[52:24.120 -> 52:28.480] Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel like this, how do I deal with it, you know it's something I've
[52:28.480 -> 52:30.280] learnt off again, it's mad.
[52:30.280 -> 52:34.240] So if someone was listening to this then Danny, what would you say would be the most effective
[52:34.240 -> 52:39.960] first step for when, if they recognised them at that low point, what did you take?
[52:39.960 -> 52:46.640] Well I just, I mean talking's massive, And feeling like you can trust the person you're talking
[52:46.640 -> 52:52.120] to is massive. And just be kind to yourself man, it's never just gonna be simple, like
[52:52.120 -> 52:55.880] things may have felt simple but it's not always gonna be that way, like just give yourself
[52:55.880 -> 53:00.760] a break man, just give yourself a little pat on the back when you need it kind of thing.
[53:00.760 -> 53:10.320] 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 Drinkwater, you're being
[53:10.320 -> 53:15.920] nicknamed Danny Drinkbeer, Danny Drink Cocktails, I saw, I remember seeing an ESPN article calling
[53:15.920 -> 53:18.440] you the second worst Premier League signing ever.
[53:18.440 -> 53:23.760] And it's like, this is someone who's suffering with their mental health, having a really
[53:23.760 -> 53:25.480] difficult time,
[53:25.480 -> 53:27.960] and then the public pylon happens as well.
[53:27.960 -> 53:30.960] Luckily for me, I've never really focused on that.
[53:30.960 -> 53:34.000] You know, I've never, even when it's been going good, I've never really focused on it,
[53:34.000 -> 53:38.880] but you know, you see it, it obviously chips away.
[53:38.880 -> 53:42.920] I mean, I'm not a fan of mainstream media at all.
[53:42.920 -> 53:45.460] I just think it's not a good thing. So I kind of
[53:45.460 -> 53:49.540] stay away from it but you know my mates look at it, my mates tell me about it. So yeah
[53:49.540 -> 53:55.460] it's a bit like, just another thing is it? One more thing to go with it, sound. Try and
[53:55.460 -> 53:56.460] deal with that.
[53:56.460 -> 54:00.100] Was there ever a point where you wanted just to talk like this almost?
[54:00.100 -> 54:01.900] Yeah, 100% yeah, yeah.
[54:01.900 -> 54:02.900] Why didn't you?
[54:02.900 -> 54:07.000] At the time I don't think you feel like you can trust a lot of people.
[54:07.000 -> 54:14.000] And even if you do, is it going to be then put out in the right way? I don't know if it is.
[54:14.000 -> 54:17.000] Obviously, a moment came for a reset, right?
[54:17.000 -> 54:18.000] Yeah.
[54:18.000 -> 54:19.000] Burnley.
[54:19.000 -> 54:22.000] Now the question that people listening to this will be thinking is,
[54:22.000 -> 54:27.440] hold on, really bad at Chelsea, gets a chance to make a move goes to Burnley who wanted him because they
[54:27.440 -> 54:32.580] signed him and he ends up getting in a scrap outside the nightclub. Is this
[54:32.580 -> 54:37.080] guy not learning his lessons? Yeah it does it looks pretty bad doesn't it? So there was a
[54:37.080 -> 54:41.560] few clubs and I picked Burnley because I could drive from home 45
[54:41.560 -> 54:48.040] 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
[54:48.040 -> 54:52.280] manager and the whole thing would have been totally different but that's an
[54:52.280 -> 54:56.760] easy thing to say isn't it. I worked with Sean Dyche at Watford, he was the assistant at
[54:56.760 -> 55:00.760] Watford at the time when I didn't enjoy it at all you know and I've gone to Burnley
[55:00.760 -> 55:06.000] just hoping it'd be different but knowing that I was close to my son.
[55:06.000 -> 55:12.560] So that was the main reason why I chose that club and then going into it I knew his teams
[55:12.560 -> 55:17.360] were fully like fit, I knew they were machines and I was like right, exactly what I need.
[55:17.360 -> 55:20.560] But it didn't work, it just did not work at all.
[55:20.560 -> 55:21.560] I know.
[55:21.560 -> 55:25.800] You know, Sean Dyche's got his own ways, can I think? You know, you've seen
[55:25.800 -> 55:33.640] loads of players go under Sean Dyche and not be successful. I think I was just one of them.
[55:33.640 -> 55:38.520] For what reason? Well, first of all, I wasn't playing. You know, he got me fit but I wasn't
[55:38.520 -> 55:44.560] playing. You know, he kind of sticks with his teams and it's really, really hard to
[55:44.560 -> 55:49.020] get in. I'm in a similar position at Burnley Football Club than I was at Chelsea
[55:49.020 -> 55:54.760] Football Club so then in my head I'm thinking what am I doing here when I
[55:54.760 -> 55:57.600] can be at Chelsea doing the exact same thing like what is going on?
[55:57.600 -> 56:02.680] Bear in mind like some of Sean Dyche's ways are wicked like off the pitch, he's
[56:02.680 -> 56:05.440] class off the pitch. I'd like, you know, his meetings
[56:05.440 -> 56:10.800] were brilliant, you know, he's got, I don't know how long he's been doing it, but he's
[56:10.800 -> 56:15.480] got this real thing of like the mental side of stuff and you know, he's class. But then
[56:15.480 -> 56:21.400] this, I mean this villa thing came up then, you know, and I could stay at home again and
[56:21.400 -> 56:25.520] it's another reset. Happy days, like I have to get this done.
[56:25.520 -> 56:28.520] So did he kind of get rid of you because of the nightclub?
[56:28.520 -> 56:30.020] No, no he wanted me to stay.
[56:30.020 -> 56:31.020] He wanted you to stay, right.
[56:31.020 -> 56:32.020] Yeah, he wanted me to stay, yeah.
[56:32.020 -> 56:33.020] And what happened with that nightclub incident?
[56:33.020 -> 56:38.060] I can't remember much about it to be honest. I just remember, again, I was in a nightclub
[56:38.060 -> 56:47.120] drinking and then got into a little scuffle and then got like levered by a few of them and then I was
[56:47.120 -> 56:53.000] up in the morning and just my ankle just couldn't remember what happened.
[56:53.000 -> 56:57.120] Went into the training ground, got it looked at and then I've obviously like
[56:57.120 -> 57:01.960] think of like fractured or something in my foot. Never happened any bone in my
[57:01.960 -> 57:07.500] body at all so it's been like pretty solid and And I was like, shit, what the fuck's going on here?
[57:07.500 -> 57:12.000] It was a big hiccup in what I wanted to be like a successful loan.
[57:12.000 -> 57:15.500] But for me it never felt like a make or break kind of moment.
[57:15.500 -> 57:20.000] It was a strange one, you know, because if it was, I would have been told to leave by
[57:20.000 -> 57:21.000] them.
[57:21.000 -> 57:25.120] He wanted to keep me, which I can't understand to be honest because he wasn't
[57:25.120 -> 57:30.520] playing me and I think we both knew all I needed was games and like I said that's when
[57:30.520 -> 57:32.760] the Villa thing came up which was massive.
[57:32.760 -> 57:33.760] So you went to Villa?
[57:33.760 -> 57:34.760] Went to Villa yeah.
[57:34.760 -> 57:35.760] And how did that go?
[57:35.760 -> 57:36.760] Same.
[57:36.760 -> 57:48.000] No honestly like that's one thing I always, I mean I don't think I've said this much but that's one club I wish went different Villa
[57:48.000 -> 57:56.000] because from the moment I walked in I was like, it surprised me and it felt almost similar to Leicester
[57:56.000 -> 58:02.000] so I was like, come on, finally a club where I feel like I can kick on a bit
[58:02.000 -> 58:05.280] The manager who was Dean Smith at the time, great,
[58:05.280 -> 58:06.480] chucked me straight in,
[58:06.960 -> 58:09.240] but you know, probably I wasn't nowhere near ready.
[58:09.440 -> 58:11.400] I was miles off it, to be honest.
[58:12.160 -> 58:13.800] Debut, stinking.
[58:13.920 -> 58:16.520] Two or three games later, obviously, like still stinking.
[58:16.520 -> 58:18.520] Cunk, cunk, like, I'm out of,
[58:19.120 -> 58:21.120] I'm out of games now for a year and a half.
[58:21.400 -> 58:24.000] So the speed feels like way too quick.
[58:25.340 -> 58:32.240] And I'm thinking, fuck, like, it's got away from me a bit here. So I end up doing way too much
[58:32.240 -> 58:35.800] physical work than what I should be doing. Like this is myself now trying to push
[58:35.800 -> 58:40.920] myself a bit too much, changed my diet, went vegan, pushed myself too much
[58:40.920 -> 58:47.280] physically. Going quite early at training I'd swim, I'd do gym, I'd
[58:47.280 -> 58:55.040] train with a team, I'd do more fitness on my own on the pitch and then that was like
[58:55.040 -> 59:02.200] my day then. Whereas when I'm flighting, I go in training, chill out, train with a team,
[59:02.200 -> 59:06.500] chill out, done. Do the odd gym session just to make sure my muscles
[59:06.500 -> 59:14.440] are firing. Other than that, that was me. Whereas now, I'm doing way too much. But I
[59:14.440 -> 59:20.240] know I'm trying to catch up to something and I thought this is the way I need to do it
[59:20.240 -> 59:21.240] when it wasn't.
[59:21.240 -> 59:24.240] So how did you end up headbutting your team mate?
[59:24.240 -> 59:25.800] That was after the Leicester game.
[59:25.800 -> 59:27.800] So I've gone back to King Power here.
[59:27.800 -> 59:29.800] It's away, Villa, Leicester and
[59:29.800 -> 59:33.800] I think we get beat like 4-1.
[59:33.800 -> 59:35.800] Or something, I didn't even get on the pitch.
[59:35.800 -> 59:37.800] And I'm like sat on the bench and I'm thinking
[59:37.800 -> 59:39.800] fucking hell.
[59:39.800 -> 59:41.800] This is a place where I used to dominate like week in week out here.
[59:41.800 -> 59:43.800] For quite a good period of time.
[59:43.800 -> 59:45.840] How painful was that?
[59:45.840 -> 59:50.840] That was yeah that was that was probably like football in terms where I thought
[59:50.840 -> 59:56.920] I've just had enough of this why am I here and not even playing. I've come back
[59:56.920 -> 01:00:01.480] this and I love football at Leicester and I've never got it back since I left
[01:00:01.480 -> 01:00:05.520] there which you know is partly my fault and I
[01:00:05.520 -> 01:00:10.360] thought oh I'm going back to where I love football, I mean you know not starting
[01:00:10.360 -> 01:00:13.360] fine, when I get on the pitch fucking buzzing I'll be flying all over the
[01:00:13.360 -> 01:00:19.040] place, didn't get on and then anyone in football will tell you that the day
[01:00:19.040 -> 01:00:23.520] after a game if you've not played they are absolute headloss sessions so they
[01:00:23.520 -> 01:00:26.240] are where like nobody's played minutes
[01:00:26.240 -> 01:00:31.320] and it's you know just to get some get some movement into your legs and it's just not
[01:00:31.320 -> 01:00:36.640] nice at all as any player. So then we're in a game and then me and the lad end up having
[01:00:36.640 -> 01:00:40.720] like a little argument and then it kind of carries on and you know it just tells me to
[01:00:40.720 -> 01:00:45.920] shut up a few times too many and then next minute you know he's on the floor kind of thing and
[01:00:53.160 -> 01:00:53.440] as soon as I did that I felt like shit not because of what I did but because I knew like I
[01:00:58.480 -> 01:01:01.920] 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 piece and walk away where I was in like
[01:01:02.680 -> 01:01:04.680] What I felt I was such a role
[01:01:06.400 -> 01:01:10.200] and walk away. Where I was in like, what I felt 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.
[01:01:10.200 -> 01:01:12.000] Have you ever done anything like that before?
[01:01:12.000 -> 01:01:17.760] I mean I've had fights and stuff, but I've never like, I've never been told to shut up
[01:01:17.760 -> 01:01:21.400] two or three times and then reacted to it. You know, I just like, say something back
[01:01:21.400 -> 01:01:26.780] and then whatever happens, happens kind of thing, but I'd never, no I'd never do that.
[01:01:26.780 -> 01:01:27.780] I'd never do that.
[01:01:27.780 -> 01:01:31.380] From what you've said though, correct me if I'm wrong but it almost feels at this point
[01:01:31.380 -> 01:01:34.260] like you're almost seeing your career slip away now.
[01:01:34.260 -> 01:01:38.020] Oh yeah massively, oh it was going and I could feel it going and I think that's why I was
[01:01:38.020 -> 01:01:43.500] trying so hard to do all them extra bits to try and crawl it back.
[01:01:43.500 -> 01:01:51.020] And the odd thing was as well is I knew Bean Smith was not counting on me but I knew he thought you know we're gonna get
[01:01:51.020 -> 01:01:55.720] you back here, we'll get you back. So then you've got that additional complex layer
[01:01:55.720 -> 01:01:59.800] of feeling like you're letting people down again. Yeah yeah I think I have yeah
[01:01:59.800 -> 01:02:03.580] well I have in the background now knowing about it and then even that's
[01:02:03.580 -> 01:02:10.000] when COVID came so literally the COVID period and the season gets extended and my loan contract runs out.
[01:02:10.000 -> 01:02:14.000] And I'm, at this point I'm saying to the gaffer and that like,
[01:02:14.000 -> 01:02:16.000] obviously listen I really appreciate everything.
[01:02:16.000 -> 01:02:20.000] Like sorry I kind of let you down but, like I'm grateful.
[01:02:20.000 -> 01:02:22.000] I want you to know like I really appreciate it.
[01:02:22.000 -> 01:02:24.000] And he's like, what do you mean?
[01:02:24.000 -> 01:02:25.400] Like I'm, you know, go out to Chelsea. No, no, like we want you to know I really appreciate it." And he's like, what do you mean? I can go out to Chelsea.
[01:02:25.700 -> 01:02:27.000] No, no, we want you to stay.
[01:02:27.900 -> 01:02:28.600] So I'm like, what?
[01:02:28.700 -> 01:02:29.600] What do you mean you want me to stay?
[01:02:29.600 -> 01:02:30.100] What for?
[01:02:31.000 -> 01:02:31.500] He's like,
[01:02:31.500 -> 01:02:32.300] what do you mean what for?
[01:02:32.700 -> 01:02:34.700] I've got like eight massive games left or something it was.
[01:02:35.300 -> 01:02:36.600] This is a reset again.
[01:02:36.700 -> 01:02:37.800] It's a massive opportunity.
[01:02:38.400 -> 01:02:39.100] So I was like, Gaffer man,
[01:02:39.100 -> 01:02:39.500] I'm just,
[01:02:39.800 -> 01:02:40.200] no,
[01:02:40.300 -> 01:02:41.400] I just don't want to let you down again.
[01:02:41.900 -> 01:02:42.100] Anyway,
[01:02:42.100 -> 01:02:43.600] we ended up having a conversation,
[01:02:43.600 -> 01:02:44.900] ended up signing the extension.
[01:02:45.640 -> 01:02:50.360] And that was even for me, I was fucking hell that's good that, I really appreciate
[01:02:50.360 -> 01:02:51.360] that.
[01:02:51.360 -> 01:02:53.760] Like, let's see what we can make of it then.
[01:02:53.760 -> 01:02:55.080] What did you make of it?
[01:02:55.080 -> 01:03:02.600] Well Covid came and I felt for the first time in two years I was on an even playing field
[01:03:02.600 -> 01:03:03.800] with the rest of the lads for fitness.
[01:03:03.800 -> 01:03:05.360] I got myself into great shape
[01:03:06.000 -> 01:03:13.580] And no one had played games now. I think for like two or three months was it so I felt like fucking out like
[01:03:14.100 -> 01:03:15.540] mint and
[01:03:15.540 -> 01:03:21.740] Then we had a couple of friendlies West Brom felt really good did really good and I thought you know what drinks buzzing made the
[01:03:21.740 -> 01:03:24.260] Right decision here. Thanks gaffer. Just sorted me right out. I'm back
[01:03:25.440 -> 01:03:29.160] Lester away first half of the game,
[01:03:29.160 -> 01:03:31.260] really good, dominated again.
[01:03:31.260 -> 01:03:32.240] Hamstring goes.
[01:03:33.580 -> 01:03:35.580] Fucking Hamstring goes, I know.
[01:03:35.580 -> 01:03:36.560] And it's like, what, fuck it.
[01:03:36.560 -> 01:03:39.520] And then it's like, what chance have I got here?
[01:03:39.520 -> 01:03:40.960] Like, what chance have I actually got?
[01:03:40.960 -> 01:03:43.160] And it was like a grade two, six weeks out.
[01:03:44.360 -> 01:03:45.120] And then I stayed at Villa, stayed at Villa. It was like a grade two six weeks out and I stayed at Villa
[01:03:45.120 -> 01:03:50.640] stayed at Villa it was like the club were great got back fit I think the lads
[01:03:50.640 -> 01:03:53.440] had only played one game because it was such a tricky time when it joined COVID
[01:03:53.440 -> 01:04:00.260] first training session in with the boys boom hamstring again same leg and I'm
[01:04:00.260 -> 01:04:05.480] like fuck's sake what's going on what actually going on? Do you know when you just,
[01:04:05.480 -> 01:04:08.360] I just couldn't feel like I could catch a break anywhere.
[01:04:08.360 -> 01:04:10.440] I've got me trying to get my career back on
[01:04:10.440 -> 01:04:13.920] to where I need to get it or feel like I want to get it.
[01:04:13.920 -> 01:04:16.840] And I'm just getting injured.
[01:04:16.840 -> 01:04:19.480] So what can you do?
[01:04:19.480 -> 01:04:20.320] What can you actually do?
[01:04:20.320 -> 01:04:21.560] I literally felt like my hands were just,
[01:04:21.560 -> 01:04:22.680] it was just, everything was just out of my hands
[01:04:22.680 -> 01:04:24.200] at that point.
[01:04:24.200 -> 01:04:25.840] So what did you do?
[01:04:26.360 -> 01:04:28.360] Went back to Chelsea
[01:04:30.520 -> 01:04:33.540] Went back to Chelsea and then went on loan to
[01:04:34.520 -> 01:04:36.520] Turkey, Kasımpaşa
[01:04:37.320 -> 01:04:43.880] Which was again brand new for me. So I'm going I need to, this is my last chance this, I need to I need to work at it
[01:04:44.000 -> 01:04:45.000] So I'm going, I need to, this is my last chance, I need to work at it.
[01:04:47.500 -> 01:04:54.000] 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.
[01:04:56.500 -> 01:04:57.500] My calf goes.
[01:04:57.500 -> 01:04:58.000] Oh man.
[01:04:58.000 -> 01:05:00.000] And again, it's that thing again, like I said, on my hands.
[01:05:00.000 -> 01:05:02.000] Like I've tried literally, I've tried everything.
[01:05:03.000 -> 01:05:09.000] When was that famous challenge on that kid that then went viral as well when you were playing for the under-23s?
[01:05:09.000 -> 01:05:11.000] Was that right towards the end at Chelsea?
[01:05:11.000 -> 01:05:15.000] I think that was before they closed the partial loan.
[01:05:15.000 -> 01:05:17.000] That was just frustration again?
[01:05:17.000 -> 01:05:27.000] I can't remember much about it, I just remember him making a big tackle on me and I'm just thinking fucking little shit. Kind of just lashed out a bit.
[01:05:27.000 -> 01:05:33.000] But again, you know, it was like a little kick. Like whoopie-doo man, whoopie-doo.
[01:05:33.000 -> 01:05:34.000] But you're a story at this point.
[01:05:34.000 -> 01:05:40.000] Exactly, exactly. And you know, it's an easy target and that's absolutely fine, no problem.
[01:05:40.000 -> 01:05:45.160] But don't think I'm not like, I'm just gonna take getting splattered by some little kid
[01:05:45.160 -> 01:05:50.840] like piss off just because I'm going through it a bit. I ain't taking that.
[01:05:50.840 -> 01:05:56.440] So how does it feel having gone through that with us for the last little while?
[01:05:56.440 -> 01:06:00.800] Yeah it sounds a bit sore doesn't it? You know it's not been easy, it sounds like for
[01:06:00.800 -> 01:06:09.240] someone it would be tough and this is a thing about expressing yourself like when you're going through it if you're expressing yourself with someone like you
[01:06:09.240 -> 01:06:15.680] can talk to or trust it does sound like it'd be hard work when you internalize things which
[01:06:15.680 -> 01:06:21.560] I was doing I didn't get it myself but then when I spoke to someone it was like fuck that
[01:06:21.560 -> 01:06:26.240] does sound like a hard time and like you know careers are careers I mean
[01:06:26.240 -> 01:06:30.920] football is a short one and they do come to an end but not being able to like
[01:06:30.920 -> 01:06:34.440] kind of go through it how you'd want to go through it it's kind of tough to take
[01:06:34.440 -> 01:06:39.160] as well I suppose. So how do you feel that you're almost in that position but
[01:06:39.160 -> 01:06:43.760] you're walking away from the sport now so like what have you learned that would
[01:06:43.760 -> 01:06:45.080] have served you well
[01:06:45.080 -> 01:06:47.760] from when you left United, left Leicester,
[01:06:47.760 -> 01:06:50.080] now you're leaving football completely?
[01:06:50.080 -> 01:06:51.720] I mean, I'd say, like, listen,
[01:06:51.720 -> 01:06:53.120] it's not just about your physical state.
[01:06:53.120 -> 01:06:57.200] You need to, you need to prioritize your mental state.
[01:06:57.200 -> 01:07:01.000] That's probably, like, where you should be focusing on.
[01:07:01.000 -> 01:07:03.400] If you look at, like, all the people or players
[01:07:03.400 -> 01:07:04.720] or even other sports, you know,
[01:07:04.720 -> 01:07:10.880] the drivers or anything that's like peak, they all have like a really good, well what
[01:07:10.880 -> 01:07:15.040] I'd look at and say like mental state, you know, like, you know, they all seem quite
[01:07:15.040 -> 01:07:20.560] content or they always have some kind of stability or like balance or they're in kind of the
[01:07:20.560 -> 01:07:25.840] right place mentally. So I just think if young players can get that
[01:07:25.840 -> 01:07:31.120] at a young age that would be absolutely crucial for them in the long term.
[01:07:31.120 -> 01:07:37.120] And are you at a point now where you can sit here and go bloody hell you know best part
[01:07:37.120 -> 01:07:42.040] of a 20 year professional career and I won the Premier League or do you sit here and
[01:07:42.040 -> 01:07:46.000] go that Chelsea period dominates my thoughts, I let myself down on
[01:07:46.000 -> 01:07:47.480] too many occasions.
[01:07:47.480 -> 01:07:48.480] Where are you at today?
[01:07:48.480 -> 01:07:52.240] Yeah I'd probably start with like you've let yourself down kind of thing, somewhere down
[01:07:52.240 -> 01:07:53.840] the line a few times.
[01:07:53.840 -> 01:07:59.040] But folk made drinks, you've played for England, you've won the Premier League, won the FA
[01:07:59.040 -> 01:08:08.800] Cup, you've played in Charity Shields, you've done great, like you've literally done great. This is me coming from, you know,
[01:08:08.800 -> 01:08:12.400] playing football on the estate as a kid, wanting to be this professional footballer, like I've
[01:08:12.400 -> 01:08:19.880] done it. And I think now that's the thing, whereas, you know, if I had the same mindset
[01:08:19.880 -> 01:08:25.520] maybe six years ago, I would be like, I was not able to shit career, but I've not.
[01:08:25.520 -> 01:08:30.080] Like I know now I've not. I've done things that most lads only dream of, you know, and
[01:08:30.080 -> 01:08:33.600] taking the medals out of it, you know, I've travelled the world, like maybe not seeing
[01:08:33.600 -> 01:08:38.480] what I'd like to see with football because you know, you're on a schedule, but there's
[01:08:38.480 -> 01:08:42.160] so many more benefits as well to winning trophies, life experiences, everything, you know, the
[01:08:42.160 -> 01:08:45.120] people you meet. I mean I've done
[01:08:45.120 -> 01:08:46.120] class. I'm not done with it.
[01:08:46.120 -> 01:08:50.640] What are the lessons you're going to take then from that incredible set of experiences
[01:08:50.640 -> 01:08:53.240] into this next chapter of your life?
[01:08:53.240 -> 01:08:58.080] Well I'd like to think again, it's helped me grow, so I'm a better person from everything.
[01:08:58.080 -> 01:09:03.480] If I can help other people doing it, or on their way through, just a bit of perspective
[01:09:03.480 -> 01:09:06.800] on stuff and, you know, I'd like to be able
[01:09:06.800 -> 01:09:07.800] to do that.
[01:09:07.800 -> 01:09:09.800] Well listen mate, thank you so much for coming on this podcast.
[01:09:09.800 -> 01:09:10.800] Absolute pleasure.
[01:09:10.800 -> 01:09:13.480] People have watched this unfold not actually knowing the true story.
[01:09:13.480 -> 01:09:14.480] Yeah.
[01:09:14.480 -> 01:09:18.520] And for you to come on and share it in the way you have, it's helpful for people who
[01:09:18.520 -> 01:09:21.720] didn't know, but it's probably more helpful for people who are still to come.
[01:09:21.720 -> 01:09:23.960] Well thank you, and hopefully it will help.
[01:09:23.960 -> 01:09:24.960] Top man.
[01:09:24.960 -> 01:09:26.000] Thanks, man. Thanks, cheers guys. Mate, thank you so much for coming and sharing that. I come. Thank you, hopefully it will help. Top man.
[01:09:26.000 -> 01:09:28.000] Thanks, cheers.
[01:09:28.000 -> 01:09:30.000] Thank you so much for coming and sharing that.
[01:09:30.000 -> 01:09:32.000] I loved it.
[01:09:32.000 -> 01:09:34.000] Damien.
[01:09:34.000 -> 01:09:36.000] Jake.
[01:09:36.000 -> 01:09:38.000] That was a really hard listen at times actually, wasn't it?
[01:09:38.000 -> 01:09:40.000] Brutal, yeah. I think
[01:09:40.000 -> 01:09:42.000] whilst I have tremendous
[01:09:42.000 -> 01:09:44.000] sympathy for Danny, there's
[01:09:44.000 -> 01:09:46.360] also an element of frustration as
[01:09:46.360 -> 01:09:53.800] well for him that there was a number of opportunities and moments where it's a sliding doors moment,
[01:09:53.800 -> 01:09:55.760] it could have been very different for him.
[01:09:55.760 -> 01:10:00.840] I think it's, you know, he had such a great youth career at United, he then had an incredible
[01:10:00.840 -> 01:10:06.960] time at Leicester. It's obvious that the sort of the damage to him in that
[01:10:06.960 -> 01:10:11.840] early period at Chelsea was so great that you of course he's responsible totally you
[01:10:11.840 -> 01:10:16.560] know no one gets behind the wheel of a car drunk without taking responsibility for that
[01:10:16.560 -> 01:10:21.780] and that is an act that is a horrendous thing to do. But obviously his mental health and
[01:10:21.780 -> 01:10:26.160] his struggles and his lack of self-worth and his darkness
[01:10:26.160 -> 01:10:30.320] was such that it went on for a long period of time and almost just didn't allow him to
[01:10:30.320 -> 01:10:34.800] kind of to see what he used to be before he was in this place. Does that make sense?
[01:10:34.800 -> 01:10:39.840] Yeah definitely, I think it's a really good example of when somebody's identity gets wrapped
[01:10:39.840 -> 01:10:49.680] up into who they think they are. So you take away the idea of Danny the footballer, who's left. Danny the man wasn't necessarily somebody that by his own
[01:10:49.680 -> 01:10:54.760] admittance he'd invested much time in developing and spending time with. So
[01:10:54.760 -> 01:10:59.240] therefore he's left with a vacuum and he's filling it with all the activities
[01:10:59.240 -> 01:11:04.200] almost of like a young adolescent boy, the adolescent that he'd never
[01:11:04.200 -> 01:11:06.640] been allowed to be because
[01:11:06.640 -> 01:11:09.440] of he was pursuing a career at Manchester United at the time.
[01:11:09.440 -> 01:11:13.440] And all of this of course compounded by his admission that there's no one harder on him
[01:11:13.440 -> 01:11:19.800] than himself. So, you know, the negative self-talk, the kind of self-loathing at this point clearly
[01:11:19.800 -> 01:11:25.280] was huge and you saw him tear up when talking about the impact on his family and the sort
[01:11:25.280 -> 01:11:29.000] of the sense of shame that would have been wrapped up in this as well. But I think the
[01:11:29.000 -> 01:11:33.960] other really important thing is we need this to be a conversation where people also have
[01:11:33.960 -> 01:11:38.480] empathy for the situation that he was in. You know, this is a guy that was struggling
[01:11:38.480 -> 01:11:42.080] in a really bad place and that's not to make excuses for some of the stuff that he did,
[01:11:42.080 -> 01:11:45.600] but it's to put into context some of the stuff that went on.
[01:11:45.600 -> 01:11:51.660] One of my favorite theories is the work of a guy called Kurt Lewin, a famous social psychologist
[01:11:51.660 -> 01:11:56.880] that said our behavior is a function of both our personality and the environment that we're
[01:11:56.880 -> 01:12:02.840] in. So we can maybe look at the personality element separately, but the environment stuff
[01:12:02.840 -> 01:12:09.600] will always have a big part of it. So the easiest way of explaining it is that when you cut somebody up in traffic, it's
[01:12:09.600 -> 01:12:14.440] because you're in a rush, when somebody does it to you, we label them a dick or the rude
[01:12:14.440 -> 01:12:16.480] or abrasive or whatever.
[01:12:16.480 -> 01:12:21.760] And I think it's easy to look from the outside in and make judgements on Danny's personality.
[01:12:21.760 -> 01:12:30.360] Whereas what we've tried to do here is step back and look at the environment. You see a guy that has been isolated from his dream. These are all
[01:12:30.360 -> 01:12:35.240] quite brutal experiences that then shape how you do behave and how you do react
[01:12:35.240 -> 01:12:39.640] at those key moments and I think just hearing that is invaluable for us to be
[01:12:39.640 -> 01:12:44.760] able to have, as you say, greater empathy. Absolutely. Well we wish him the very
[01:12:44.760 -> 01:12:45.120] best in retirement. Absolutely, yeah we wish him the very best in
[01:12:45.120 -> 01:12:49.360] retirement. Absolutely, yeah I think it's really brave that he's chosen to come
[01:12:49.360 -> 01:12:53.920] here and share something about the incredible success of his career but
[01:12:53.920 -> 01:13:02.000] equally the pitfalls that he fell into. So there we go, I told you that you
[01:13:02.000 -> 01:13:08.160] would perhaps see a side of Danny Drinkwater you hadn't seen before and I would love to know what you thought of that episode. There are only
[01:13:08.160 -> 01:13:11.920] two things that you can do to help us out, you know. The first one is to share and spread
[01:13:11.920 -> 01:13:16.180] these podcasts to get more people listening to them. And the second thing is to just hit
[01:13:16.180 -> 01:13:20.560] the subscribe button. It takes a few moments, but it means we can grow this podcast channel
[01:13:20.560 -> 01:13:26.000] and attract even more people to come on this platform and share their stories.
[01:13:26.000 -> 01:13:32.680] Remember, remain humble, curious, and chase your own version of high performance.
[01:13:32.680 -> 01:14:02.400] Thanks for listening. These days, every new potential hire can feel like a high-stakes wager for your small business.
[01:14:02.400 -> 01:14:07.440] You want to be 100% certain that you have access to the best qualified candidates available. That's
[01:14:07.440 -> 01:14:12.200] why you have to check out LinkedIn Jobs. LinkedIn Jobs helps find the right
[01:14:12.200 -> 01:14:17.840] people for your team faster and for free. Post your job for free at
[01:14:17.840 -> 01:14:27.100] linkedin.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.com.in.com hardwork to post your job for free.
[01:14:27.100 -> 01:14:28.260] Terms and conditions apply.