Reading FC loan may have been final nail in coffin for Chelsea struggler: View | OneFootball

Danny Drinkwater could have revived his career at the Select Car Leasing Stadium, but he was unable to in the end.

Leicester City title-winner Danny Drinkwater could have enjoyed a brilliant time at Chelsea.

Having spent the bulk of his career in the EFL, the Foxes' 2015/16 Premier League title win was a real fairytale for him and he certainly played his part, alongside N'Golo Kante.

Unlike Kante, he spent one more season at the King Power Stadium, but he eventually joined the Frenchman at Stamford Bridge in 2017.

The Blues reportedly forked out £35m to lure him away from the Midlands, a sizeable fee but an understandable one considering the player should have been in the peak years of his career at that point.

Unfortunately for him, his spell in the English capital didn't work out well, making just 23 competitive appearances during his entire time at Stamford Bridge and scoring just once.

During his time with the English top-tier giants, he went out on loan numerous times, enduring very unsuccessful loan spells at Burnley and Aston Villa before being sent out on a temporary spell to Kasimpasa.

That spell in Turkey could have allowed him to get away from the media spotlight and prove his worth, but he was unable to force his way back into the Blues' first team and was sent out on a fourth loan move to then-Championship side Reading.

This move, which materialised during the summer of 2021, could have allowed Drinkwater to revive his career.

He was only 31 at the time of his move to the Select Car Leasing Stadium and could have returned to play in the top tier if he had shone in Berkshire.

Drinkwater made a great first impression for the Royals, making his debut against Fulham after coming on for an injured Tom Holmes at Craven Cottage.

Considering it was very early in the game, it wouldn't have been a surprise if the former England international had needed some time to settle into the game.

But he adapted straight away, proving to be a very calm presence in the middle of the park and playing a huge part in the Berkshire side's 2-1 away win against Marco Silva's men.

He also registered a goal and an assist away at Swansea City and put in a very memorable performance away at Barnsley.

That game at Oakwell was crucial, but he wasn't afraid to throw himself into challenges and was a huge contributor to the point they took away from South Yorkshire.

With these performances in mind, Drinkwater's spell under Veljko Paunovic (pictured above) wasn't a complete disaster, and the statistics below prove that.

However, his time in Berkshire can't exactly be classed as a successful one.

Reading FC loan spell may have ended Danny Drinkwater's career

At the time of his move to the SCL Stadium, it seemed as though it was the last chance saloon for the player in his quest to get his career back on track.

And whilst he enjoyed some decent performances and showed touches of quality, a decent chunk of his spell was disappointing.

He didn't look a class above against non-league side Kidderminster Harriers in January 2022 - and he was part of a side that endured a major collapse during the winter period.

The midfielder also looked unfit during parts of his spell in Berkshire and that was disappointing, with his performance levels also disappointing many fans.

He was the subject of major criticism for some of his performances and that's a shame, because he enjoyed some good moments.

Unfortunately, they didn't come often enough and he was unable to find another club in the end, with the player retiring last year at the age of 33.

It remains to be seen whether he would have fully revived his career if he had enjoyed a good time at the SCL Stadium, but his time there didn't end up helping his cause in terms of his career.