A former Premier League winner had the perfect response to people online who claimed he'd hit 'rock bottom' with his new hands-on job.
The ex-midfielder went viral recently after he posted a photo of himself working on a building site, nine months after announcing his retirement from football altogether.
Best known for his time at Leicester and Chelsea, the former midfield enforcer has slowly wound his professional career down following a number of off-field issues.
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Danny Drinkwater graduated from the Manchester United academy and went on loan to a few clubs in lower divisions before joining Leicester City permanently, kick-starting his career.
It was there where he started making a name for himself, helping them gain promotion from the Championship and just one year later, played a crucial role in helping the side win the Premier League against 5000/1 odds in 2016.
After getting three caps for England, Drinkwater joined Chelsea for the hefty fee of £35 million on a £120,000-a-week contract, though injuries and falling out of favour with different managers gave him extremely limited playing time.
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After unfruitful loan spells at Burnley, Aston Villa, Kasimpasa and a last-ditch move to Reading failed to reignite his love for the game, he called time on a 13-year playing career.
But he's back in the spotlight once again, as some social media users have trolled him over his new career choice.
Mind you though, the 34-year-old doesn't seem too bothered by it.
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Just yesterday (23 July), he responded to a comment saying he had hit 'rock bottom' by replying: "Some of these messages, behave. I love being on site grafting! It's a choice."
But he's back, having posted a video of him on Instagram stories while on the job with a couple of colleagues driving down the road.
With a big smile plastered across his face, he exclaimed: "Go on lads in the white van! Come on! F***ing lunch run, whey!!" before bursting into laughter with the man next to him.
People may continue to be critical of his choices, but it's nice to see Drinkwater doing something he enjoys with his retirement.
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It's not all been smooth sailing since stepping away from the game though, as he has spoken about his mental health issues in the past, having been punished for drink-driving and sustaining an ankle ligament injury after being attacked outside a nightclub.
Some business ventures didn't go his way either, insisting that earning obscene amounts of money doesn't solve your problems and that mental health is paramount.
"I think I've been in limbo for too long, I've either been wanting to play but not getting the opportunities to play at a level where I felt valued," Drinkwater said on the High Performance Podcast in October last year.
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He went on: "I just thought I'm restless here for no reason, I'm happy not playing football, but I'm happy playing football, so do I just shake hands with the sport?
"It's all I've known, it's been my life since I was six or seven, it was never going to be an easy thing. I think the way it's died down has definitely helped.
"If I was playing week in, week out and had to stop through injury or age I think it would be trickier. I've had quite a few offers from Championship clubs, but I never felt the burn, it did nothing for me," the former Blue concluded.
Topics: Premier League, Social Media, Mental Health, Football
Joshua Nair