Danny Drinkwater

Manchester United

Born in Manchester, Drinkwater joined the Manchester United academy at the age of nine, progressing through the ranks before earning a trainee contract in July 2006. In his first season at the club, he became a regular in the Manchester United under-18 team, making 27 appearances and scoring two goals. He received his first taste of reserve team action that same season, coming off the bench to replace Ritchie Jones in a 5–2 Premier Reserve League win at home to Wigan Athletic. The following season, Drinkwater consolidated his position in the under-18s team while increasing his presence in the reserves. In the 2008 Lancashire Senior Cup final against Liverpool on 31 July 2008, he came on as a 56th-minute substitute for Rodrigo Possebon before scoring the winning goal three minutes from full-time. In the 2008–09 season, Drinkwater became a regular in the reserve team, making 18 appearances and getting on the scoresheet twice. At the end of the season, he was called up to the Manchester United first team for their dead rubber league match against Hull City on 24 May 2009. He was named on the bench, but did not take to the field.

Loan to Huddersfield Town

To gain first-team experience, on 14 August 2009, Drinkwater joined Huddersfield Town on loan for the duration of the 2009–10 season. He made his debut for the club the very next day, coming on in the 72nd minute for Gary Roberts in a 3–1 win at home to Southampton. His first goal for…

Club

International

As of match played 27 May 2016

Drinkwater made his debut for the England under-18 team in their 2–0 win over Ghana, where he scored the second goal of the match. His second under-18 cap came in a 2–0 win over Austria. He also made appearances for the England under-19s between 2008 and 2009. His first appearance came in their match against Albania on 8 October 2008. His final appearance for the England under-19s came against Ukraine on 2 August 2009. He was called up to the full England squad for the first time on 17 March 2016, ahead of friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands. He made his debut 12 days later in the latter match, a 2–1 loss at Wembley Stadium in which he was man of the match. Drinkwater was named in Roy Hodgson's 26-man provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2016 but was one of three players axed for the final selection.

In April 2019, Drinkwater was charged with drunk-driving after crashing his Range Rover into a wall in Mere, Cheshire. There were two other passengers in the car at the time of the accident, who were treated for minor injuries. Drinkwater appeared at Stockport Magistrates' Court on 13 May, where he pleaded guilty to drink-driving and received a 20-month driving ban. In September 2019, Drinkwater was attacked outside a Manchester nightclub, allegedly following a dispute with fellow footballer Kgosi Ntlhe, which resulted in ankle ligament damage. As of July 2024, Drinkwater was working as a property developer following his retirement from playing.