Whilst the likes of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have shone for Leicester City this term and deserve to be praised accordingly come the end of the 2015/16 campaign, the Foxes also play host to one of this season’s standout – albeit less obvious – performers in the shape of Danny Drinkwater.

The 25-year-old midfielder may not possess the most illustrious reputation – partially based on his less than exotic surname, perhaps – but that hasn’t stopped the former Manchester United youngster from excelling at the King Power Stadium.

So then, with thoughts of Roy Hodgson’s final EURO 2016 squad selection waiting patiently on the horizon, does Drinkwater deserve a place on the plane to France this summer with the rest of the Three Lions squad?

Well, although few may have registered much of an interest in the current Foxes star before a ball was kicked, Drinkwater arguably deserves to be placed right up there alongside Vardy and Mahrez when determining just how well Leicester City have performed throughout the current season.

Even though Claudio Ranieri has several hard-working players at the King Power Stadium – including the likes of Robert Huth, Marc Albrighton and Wes Morgan – the 25-year-old holding midfielder should potentially be singled out as the most under-rated star of the bunch.

When it comes to calmly breaking-up play in the middle of the park, then rapidly releasing one of the many willing Leicester attackers inside the final third, Drinkwater has certainly done the business for Ranieri in 2015/16. His vision and intelligence have really been traits to admire for Foxes faithful thus far, as well as his consistent desire to work hard for the rest of his team-mates throughout each 90 minute game.

It just goes to show that somewhat unknown and relatively unheard of players outside the realm of their own respective fan-base – such as Drinkwater himself before Leicester City’s surprise exploits – can still go on to develop into truly promising stars.

Drinkwater must therefore not only receive some genuine consideration from Hodgson and the England selectors this summer, but arguably be issued with a guaranteed place in the EURO 2016 squad if the Three Lions really want to make some meaningful headway at the much anticipated competition this summer.

England have called upon the same old set of names for far too long, and have arguably failed to take enough risks when it comes to finding the right set of players to do the job at each respective international tournament. Although the likes of Dele Alli and Ross Barkley do in fact offer Hodgson a promising new approach looking forward, it remains to be seen as to whether or not the former Liverpool boss really has what it takes to boldly stick his neck on the line here.

Whilst the current Leicester City star may not be guaranteed a place within any England starting XI, the overall Three Lions squad would certainly benefit from the 25-year-old’s involvement one way or another. The Foxes aren’t sitting top of the Premier League table for nothing after all.

Drinkwater is currently in the form of his life and playing an instrumental role behind everything that has gone so dramatically well down at the King Power Stadium this season – so what more could Roy Hodgson genuinely ask for when all is said and done?

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