Former England midfielder Danny Drinkwater has revisited the tense contract discussions he had while playing for Manchester United's youth teams.
In an interview with The Athletic, Drinkwater shared how he initially sought advice from Gary Neville, the former United defender who had previously aided him in negotiating better contracts. Each deal had granted the midfielder an annual uplift of about £5,000.
However, when Drinkwater approached Neville for further assistance, the response was rather blunt:
“You’re playing for the reserves. What do you expect?”
Feeling frustrated, the midfielder then decided to go directly to Ferguson. Drinkwater remembers the legendary manager reprimanding him firmly before ultimately rejecting his request.
Despite spending 13 years in the Manchester United system, Drinkwater never made an appearance for the first team. He eventually moved on to Leicester City, where he played a pivotal role in their historic title-winning campaign in the 2015/16 season, marking the first time the Foxes triumphed in the Premier League.
