Royston Drenthe suffers stroke at 38 as ex-Real Madrid and Everton star rushed to hospital

Drenthe was best-known for his dynamic, attacking playing style, featuring mainly at left winger and left-back during his playing days with Feyenoord, Real Madrid, Everton, and he made a solitary international appearance for Holland. While details about his exact condition and the cause of the stroke haven't been publicly released, a positive update on his condition has been delivered via social media.

A statement from his current team, FC De Rebellen, a team of veterans in the Netherlands, said: "Last Friday, Royston Drenthe suffered a stroke. Drenthe is currently being taken good care of and is in good hands. The team and those involved are hoping for a smooth recovery. Royston’s family is asking for peace and privacy during this period so they can provide him with the support and space he needs for his recovery."

Drenthe began his career at Feyenoord in 2005 before a high-profile move to Real Madrid in 2007. During his five years in Madrid, he made just 65 appearances and also had loan spells at Hercules and Everton. After leaving Real Madrid, Drenthe played for several clubs including Alania Vladikavkaz, Reading, and Sheffield Wednesday and he announced his retirement in 2016, but returned to play for Sparta Rotterdam in 2018. After leaving Sparta, he had stints with Kozakken Boys and Racing Murcia before retiring again in November 2023. Drenthe's career highlights include winning the European Under 21 Championship in 2007 with Holland and a La Liga title with Real Madrid in 2008. 

Drenthe arrived in Spain with massive potential and was talked up as one of the best young players in the world at that time. But he revealed earlier this year that there were distractions off the field, which hampered his progress on it. He said: "Barcelona wanted me, and Chelsea too, but they wanted me to stay at Feyenoord for a year. I preferred to go straight to Madrid. I knew that playing for Madrid, with legends like David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Zinedine Zidane, would be incredible. In Holland, just playing for Madrid made me a legend. At Madrid, the focus was not only on football. I loved life, and partying was a part of it. I was younger, and I didn’t understand that my partying would hurt my career. At 25, I didn’t realize how it would affect me when I was 30. Scoring in my debut felt amazing. I thought I was the king of the world." He also spoke about the vibrant social life in Madrid, where "if you won, you went out to eat, and if you lost, the party still continued".

Drenthe isn’t the only Dutchman to play for Real Madrid and struggle with alcohol consumption while at the club. Wesley Sneijder has also opened up about his issues with alcohol during his stint at Real Madrid. He explained that his divorce and the ensuing isolation led him to excessive drinking, stating that a bottle of vodka became his "best friend". His team-mates, such as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben, urged him to change his lifestyle. Sneijder admitted that his attitude and performance deteriorated, eventually leading to his departure from the club.