Danny Drinkwater Named in England Squad for Germany, Netherlands Friendlies

England manager Roy Hodgson revealed his squad on Thursday for the upcoming friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands, handing Leicester City midfielder Danny Drinkwater his first-ever senior cap. 

Arsenal's Danny Welbeck also returns to the squad after a lengthy absence due to an injury. Here's a look at the squad, courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ:

Drinkwater has played a key role in the Foxes midfield during the 2015-16 campaign, averaging close to three tackles per match in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com. The 26-year-old will add some bite to England's midfield, while the likes of Dele Alli and Ross Barkley join the attack.

Per the team's official Twitter account, Hodgson said Drinkwater fully deserves his call-up:

John Cross of the Daily Mirror agreed:

Welbeck celebrated his return to the pitch in February with a last-minute winner against Leicester, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has steadily increased his minutes as the 25-year-old works his way back to his best form.

His inclusion comes as a bit of a surprise perhaps, although he'll likely sit behind Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and Leicester City's Jamie Vardy in the pecking order. Manchester United star Wayne Rooney is still struggling with an injury, so his spot had to be filled.

Hodgson likes the fact he has such a large group of forwards to choose from:

United have just one player in the squad in defender Chris Smalling, while Liverpool are well represented, as Nathaniel Clyne, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge have all been called up.

Tottenham Hotspur will also send a number of players, with Danny Rose, Eric Dier and Kyle Walker joining Kane and Alli. Per Hodgson, Spurs have found a way to balance their busy schedule, and he feels confident the five can add two more matches:

World champions Germany will present England with a tremendous challenge in Berlin, and while the Netherlands underperformed during UEFA Euro 2016 qualification, the Oranje shouldn't be underestimated, either. Hodgson has opted to take on top competition in preparation for Euro 2016, which can only help the team in the long run.

England will play Germany on Saturday, March 26, before hosting the Netherlands three days later.

Follow @ReverschPass