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Danny Drinkwater says it is time to win more trophies after £35m move to Chelsea
Danny Drinkwater says he is at the stage in his career when he wants to "kick on" and win more trophies with Chelsea.
No fee was announced but reports suggest Chelsea have paid in the region of £35million for Drinkwater, who made 217 appearances for Leicester after joining from Manchester United in 2012.
He helped Leicester win the Premier League in 2016, but has now joined Chelsea on a five-year deal.
"My emotions have been all over the place," he said. "There has been frustration, excitement, I have been nervous and I am just grateful the transfer is done.
"Leicester has been great for me but I am looking to carry on from the season before last when we won the Premier League there and I want to win more trophies, which Leicester have understood and where better to do it than Chelsea?
"I am at a good age now to kick on. I have gained a lot of experience in playing games and hopefully that will show."
Drinkwater will be reunited with former Leicester midfielder N'Golo Kante at Stamford Bridge - a prospect that he is looking forward to.
"I played with N'Golo for a season and there was not really a game I didn’t enjoy playing next to him," he said.
"I am looking forward hopefully to carrying on where we left off. I think we hit it off from the first game and after that we did not really lose.
"He is a top lad, the most down-to-earth person you will meet. I can’t see him changing much and I am looking forward to meeting him again."
Drinkwater's first game as a Chelsea player could see him return to his former club, with Antonio Conte's side travelling to face Leicester on September 9.
"Hopefully I will get a good reception but I am a Chelsea player now so will be looking for three points," he said."
Drinkwater's move to the Premier League champions was officially confirmed more than two hours after Thursday's 11pm transfer deadline had passed and marked the end of a turbulent window for Chelsea, who missed out on a host of transfer targets throughout the summer.
Romelu Lukaku, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Fernando Llorente were all targets, but instead ended up joining Premier League rivals. Ross Barkley also pulled out of a proposed move late in the day.
Conte did manage to recruit Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Alvaro Morata and Davide Zappacosta in the window.