• Midfielder benefits from Leicester’s rise to top • Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge are recalled

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Danny Drinkwater has been called up to the England squad for the first time for the friendlies against Germany and Holland.

The Leicester midfielder is reaping the benefits of his club’s rise to the top of the table and must now be considered part of the shake-up for Euro 2016, especially given the recurring injuries suffered by Jack Wilshere.

Eric Dier is probably ahead of him in competing for the deep-lying midfield role but Drinkwater is likely to be given a start in at least one of the games to lay down a claim for a place in France.

“What he has done has been pretty evident to everybody,” the England coach, Roy Hodgson, said. “He’s had a fantastic season in a team that’s having a fantastic season.

“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.”

Hodgson has also recalled Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge who will be vying for the two likely striking roles with Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane and Theo Walcott.

Leicester’s N’Golo Kanté set to be named in France squad for friendlies Read more

Sturridge last played for England 18 months ago and Welbeck 12 months ago though, with the injured captain Wayne Rooney likely to reappear before the end of the season, all the other strikers are in effect competing for one place in the European Championship finals.

England face Germany in Berlin on Saturday 26 March and Holland at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday 29 March.

Hodgson names his squad for France on 12 May after which England will play three friendlies against Turkey, Australia and Portugal.

The Under-21s coach, Gareth Southgate, has called up three uncapped players for the European Championship qualifier in Switzerland.

The Newcastle winger Rolando Aarons, Hull’s Arsenal loanee Isaac Hayden and Blackburn midfielder Matt Grimes, on loan from Swansea, have all been included for next week’s game in Thun.

England squad to play Germany and Holland

Goalkeepers Butland (Stoke), Forster (Southampton), Hart (Man City)

Defenders Bertrand (Southampton), Cahill (Chelsea), Clyne (Liverpool), Jagielka (Everton), Rose (Tottenham), Smalling (Man United), Stones (Everton), Walker (Tottenham).

Midfielders Alli (Tottenham), Barkley (Everton), Dier (Tottenham), Drinkwater (Leicester), Henderson (Liverpool), Lallana (Liverpool), Milner (Liverpool), Sterling (Manchester City).

Forwards Kane (Tottenham), Sturridge (Liverpool), Vardy (Leicester), Walcott (Arsenal), Welbeck (Arsenal).

England Under-21 squad to play Switzerland

Goalkeepers Pickford (Sunderland), Walton (Brighton), Wildsmith (Shef Wed).

Defenders Chambers (Arsenal), Chilwell (Leicester), Galloway (Everton), Hause (Wolves), Iorfa (Wolves), Stephens (Southampton), Targett (Southampton)

Midfielders Baker (Chelsea), Grimes (Blackburn), Hayden (Hull City), Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea), Swift (Chelsea), Ward-Prowse (Southampton)

Forwards Aarons (Newcastle), Akpom (Arsenal), Gray (Leicester), Ibe (Liverpool), Solanke (Chelsea), Wilson (Manchester Utd).