Huddersfield Town: Danny Drinkwater interview
Published Date: 01 March 2010
Ambition flows throughout the veins of Danny Drinkwater – the main aim being to break in at parent club Manchester United no less.
And while 22 impressive performances have come on loan at Huddersfield Town, he's only frustrated it's not been more like 30!
Midfield ace Drinkwater is two-thirds of the way through his season-long loan from the Red Devils, a move which has given him his first taste of professional football.
The 19-year-old will have impressed onlookers from Old Trafford with his performances of late, but the Manchester-born star is only annoyed he missed nearly 10 weeks at the back end of last year after picking up a thigh injury.
The 5ft 10in star is eager to impress both of his employers – Huddersfield and United – with the goal remaining to break into Sir Alex Ferguson's reckoning in the summer.
But for all his frustration at his mid-season injury, Drinkwater knows any amount of games with the Terriers is more than he'd be getting at Old Trafford right now.
Now back fighting fit and in impressive form, the Town loan star hopes nothing can break his run in the first team between now and the end of the current campaign.
Desperate to impress, Drinkwater told Yorkshire Sport: "I look at it and I'm happy but I'd like to have played all the games.
"But it's 20 games I hadn't played before I came out on loan.
"Hopefully, by the end of the year I'll have a lot more as long as my own performances are good.
"It's been all right so far but I had a bit of a dip during mid-season with my injury. I just had a thigh strain but I came back, I am enjoying my football and I am feeling confident. I just hope it stays this way.
"I've been positive coming back since and hopefully we can keep on pushing for promotion.
"My aim right from day one was to try and impress at a loan team – to
help my profile and help a club with what they want to achieve. The closer we get to promotion and the more games I play, the happier I am."
Drinkwater is certainly happy with his surroundings at his loan club, the former England under-18 and under-19s ace impressed with every
aspect of life at the Galpharm.
The midfield star feels the Terriers are ideally placed for the future with a wealthy chairman in Dean Hoyle who, as a fan, quite clearly has the club's every interest at heart.
"It's a good club and the chairman is a fan as well as a chairman," said Drinkwater. "It's like a dream come true for him and the club I suppose. The coaching staff, the players...it's a really good club to be at.
"Everyone's buzzing, everyone's happy and the best thing is just to keep it going really.
"It's not easy to go on such a good run – especially away from home – but we are doing well and we have the lads here to keep it going."
Drinkwater also hopes another footballer keeps his current progress going – a certain Wayne Rooney! The teenager admits it's a good job he's not a striker hoping to break the mould at Old Trafford but stresses even pressing for a midfield berth is a sizeable task given the ammo at Sir Alex Ferguson's disposal.
"Wayne Rooney is Wayne Rooney – the best striker in the world, as he is proving himself at the moment," said Drinkwater, who turns 20 a week on Tuesday.
"Hopefully, he can keep going up to the World Cup and do us a favour there!
"In midfield, Paul Scholes, even in training, proves he is one of the best midfielders about. Michael Carrick as well – all the midfielders at Manchester United are class."
For League One, Drinkwater is also proving a class acquisition for Huddersfield and the teen ace says he has had encouraging feedback from his parent club through Red Devils coach Warren Joyce.
He knows better than to expect one-to-one monitoring from his busy manager whom he knows will have more pressing matters on his mind.
"He's got more important things!" said Drinkwater. "He's got the Champions League to concentrate on so he's got the other coaching staff helping who are more than helping me.
"I speak to Warren Joyce quite a lot – he has a word, he is seeing how I am playing and he just says to keep positive and stuff.
"I will always be listening to their advice because they are all Manchester United coaches."
Summer-time will be when Drinkwater probably hears what matters most – Manchester United's long-term plans for him. The youngster desperately hopes he can make the grade with the Red Devils but is keeping his feet very much on the ground.
"I will just concentrate on my football and if it goes how I want it to, I can play in the team for Manchester United," he said. "If it doesn't, I will still hopefully enjoy playing my football somewhere."
Drinkwater is certainly doing just that at the Galpharm right now and only hopes he can cap his loan spell with a promotion – a promotion which he feels the Terriers richly deserve.
"Huddersfield is definitely a Championship side," finished Drinkwater. "We have proved that with the type of football we have been playing. Hopefully, I can help get them into the Championship."
Huddersfield Town: Danny Drinkwater interview - Yorkshire Evening Post
Published Date: 01 March 2010
Ambition flows throughout the veins of Danny Drinkwater – the main aim being to break in at parent club Manchester United no less.
And while 22 impressive performances have come on loan at Huddersfield Town, he's only frustrated it's not been more like 30!
Midfield ace Drinkwater is two-thirds of the way through his season-long loan from the Red Devils, a move which has given him his first taste of professional football.
The 19-year-old will have impressed onlookers from Old Trafford with his performances of late, but the Manchester-born star is only annoyed he missed nearly 10 weeks at the back end of last year after picking up a thigh injury.
The 5ft 10in star is eager to impress both of his employers – Huddersfield and United – with the goal remaining to break into Sir Alex Ferguson's reckoning in the summer.
But for all his frustration at his mid-season injury, Drinkwater knows any amount of games with the Terriers is more than he'd be getting at Old Trafford right now.
Now back fighting fit and in impressive form, the Town loan star hopes nothing can break his run in the first team between now and the end of the current campaign.
Desperate to impress, Drinkwater told Yorkshire Sport: "I look at it and I'm happy but I'd like to have played all the games.
"But it's 20 games I hadn't played before I came out on loan.
"Hopefully, by the end of the year I'll have a lot more as long as my own performances are good.
"It's been all right so far but I had a bit of a dip during mid-season with my injury. I just had a thigh strain but I came back, I am enjoying my football and I am feeling confident. I just hope it stays this way.
"I've been positive coming back since and hopefully we can keep on pushing for promotion.
"My aim right from day one was to try and impress at a loan team – to
help my profile and help a club with what they want to achieve. The closer we get to promotion and the more games I play, the happier I am."
Drinkwater is certainly happy with his surroundings at his loan club, the former England under-18 and under-19s ace impressed with every
aspect of life at the Galpharm.
The midfield star feels the Terriers are ideally placed for the future with a wealthy chairman in Dean Hoyle who, as a fan, quite clearly has the club's every interest at heart.
"It's a good club and the chairman is a fan as well as a chairman," said Drinkwater. "It's like a dream come true for him and the club I suppose. The coaching staff, the players...it's a really good club to be at.
"Everyone's buzzing, everyone's happy and the best thing is just to keep it going really.
"It's not easy to go on such a good run – especially away from home – but we are doing well and we have the lads here to keep it going."
Drinkwater also hopes another footballer keeps his current progress going – a certain Wayne Rooney! The teenager admits it's a good job he's not a striker hoping to break the mould at Old Trafford but stresses even pressing for a midfield berth is a sizeable task given the ammo at Sir Alex Ferguson's disposal.
"Wayne Rooney is Wayne Rooney – the best striker in the world, as he is proving himself at the moment," said Drinkwater, who turns 20 a week on Tuesday.
"Hopefully, he can keep going up to the World Cup and do us a favour there!
"In midfield, Paul Scholes, even in training, proves he is one of the best midfielders about. Michael Carrick as well – all the midfielders at Manchester United are class."
For League One, Drinkwater is also proving a class acquisition for Huddersfield and the teen ace says he has had encouraging feedback from his parent club through Red Devils coach Warren Joyce.
He knows better than to expect one-to-one monitoring from his busy manager whom he knows will have more pressing matters on his mind.
"He's got more important things!" said Drinkwater. "He's got the Champions League to concentrate on so he's got the other coaching staff helping who are more than helping me.
"I speak to Warren Joyce quite a lot – he has a word, he is seeing how I am playing and he just says to keep positive and stuff.
"I will always be listening to their advice because they are all Manchester United coaches."
Summer-time will be when Drinkwater probably hears what matters most – Manchester United's long-term plans for him. The youngster desperately hopes he can make the grade with the Red Devils but is keeping his feet very much on the ground.
"I will just concentrate on my football and if it goes how I want it to, I can play in the team for Manchester United," he said. "If it doesn't, I will still hopefully enjoy playing my football somewhere."
Drinkwater is certainly doing just that at the Galpharm right now and only hopes he can cap his loan spell with a promotion – a promotion which he feels the Terriers richly deserve.
"Huddersfield is definitely a Championship side," finished Drinkwater. "We have proved that with the type of football we have been playing. Hopefully, I can help get them into the Championship."
Huddersfield Town: Danny Drinkwater interview - Yorkshire Evening Post
