Drinkwater earns first England call-up

England manager Roy Hodgson has given  Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater his first international call up.

The Leicester midfielder has earned rave reviews for his performances for the table-topping Foxes, and has been drafted into the squad to face Germany and the Netherlands in friendlies.

The 26-year-old’s selection, at the expense of Manchester United’s Michael Carrick, shows there is still a chance to break into Hodgson’s thinking before he names his squad for the European Championship on May 12.

What he has done has been pretty evident to everybody,” Hodgson said of Drinkwater.
“He’s had a fantastic season in a team that’s having a fantastic season. Even last year we were aware of him.
“In that area of the field, in midfield, the competition is quite fierce. On this occasion I thought it was an opportunity to bring him in and see if he can reproduce the type of football and the quality he’s shown for Leicester at international level.”

Roy Hodgson’s team travel to Berlin to face world champions Germany on Saturday, 26 March, then host the Dutch at Wembley on Tuesday, 29 March.

Tottenham full-back Danny Rose and Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge are also included in a 24-man squad.