To say that Danny Drinkwater's Chelsea career has failed to get off the ground would probably be an understatement.
Signed for £35million from Leicester City at the very end of the 2017 summer transfer window, the 30-year-old midfielder has failed to ever impose his true qualities at Stamford Bridge.
In almost three years since joining the Blues, the former Manchester United youngster, who played such a vital role in helping Leicester City achieve the impossible and win the Premier League title back in the 2015/16 campaign, has racked up just 23 appearances for the club, meaning the Blues' decision to sign the box-to-box midfielder has most certainly backfired.
This season, the former Cardiff City and Barnsley loanee has spent time on loan at both Burnley and Aston Villa, after being deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.
Back in August, Drinkwater joined the Turf Moor club on loan until January and was forced to wait to make his league debut for the club until early December. His time with the Lancashire club had not gone how anyone had hoped for and he returned to West London in January before joining Aston Villa for the remainder of the campaign.
His time at Villa Park, too, has not gone according to plan either, with the 30-year-old having made just four appearances for the club.
The decline of Drinkwater's career over the past two years has been startling, and it has led to questions being asked about why he made the decision to leave the King Power Stadium, with him considered as one Leicester's key players.
Despite the way his career has mapped out in recent years, the midfielder, who is not out-of-contract at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2022, insists he has no regrets about any decisions he has made over the last two years or so.
Answering a supporter's question on his Instagram page, Drinkwater said: "Again, no regrets... but I have learned and know and understand a lot more. Letting how important match fitness can affect players.
"I try not to regret things, but learn. Things haven't gone as good as I hoped after I left Leicester because of one thing or another, but I had to give it a chance."
The temporary loan switch to Burnley was supposed to give Drinkwater the opportunity to rediscover form once again, but after being allegedly attacked outside a nightclub, which resulted in two weeks on the sidelines through injury, the midfielder was unable to make the most of his time at Turf Moor.
On how he found his time with the Clarets, Drinkwater added: "Difficult. I expected to do a few runs, train hard and play. The gaffer had a certain way and believed in his team.
"A great bunch of lads at that club who had a very good team spirit."
