Drinkwater the latest Leicester player called up by England
LONDON (AP) - Danny Drinkwater is the latest player from Premier League leader Leicester to be called up by England as his team mounts an improbable title challenge.
The 26-year-old midfielder replaces the injured Jack Wilshere in his first England squad for friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands later this month.
"He's had a fantastic season in a team that's having a fantastic season," England coach Roy Hodgson said Thursday of Drinkwater. "In that area of the field 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 he's shown for Leicester at international level."
Drinkwater is in the squad alongside Leicester teammate Jamie Vardy, one of Hodgson's striking options in the absence of the injured captain Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United forward injured ligaments in his right knee last month and still hopes to be fit for the European Championship, which starts in June.
"At the moment looking at the front six of the team we have an awful lot of alternatives to play in different ways," Hodgson said. "Wayne as our captain is an important part of that."
England prepares for Euro 2016 at Germany on March 26 and against the Netherlands three days later. They are England's first games since Hodgson's assistant, Gary Neville, took his first steps into management.
Neville surprisingly took charge of Valencia in December until the end of the season, but the Spanish team has lost three of its last four league games, dropping to 12th.
Neville will be back with England during the international break.
"I think he will find it a breath of fresh air coming back to different environment and an environment where he is comfortable," Hodgson said.
Neville spent much of his post-Manchester United playing career as a TV pundit before taking the part-time coaching role with England in 2012.
As for Neville continuing to combine his Valencia and England duties, Hodgson said: "I don't see any problems at all."
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Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke), Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City).
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham).
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City).
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).