June 1 – England fans have reacted with bemusement – some with incredulity – after Danny Drinkwater, one of the stars of Leicester City’s miraculous title-winning season, was left out of the England squad for Euro 2016 whilst a player who managed just three league games because of injury was included.
Whilst the inclusion of exciting Manchester United teenage striker Marcus Rashford was a courageous sign of manager Roy Hodgson’s (pictured) attacking intent, picking Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere over Drinkwater in midfield caused a flurry of social media activity.
Rashford, who only made his professional debut on February 25, scored eight goals in 18 club games and then became England’s youngest ever debutant goalscorer during the 2-1 friendly win over Australia last Friday to sneak into the 23-man squad, aided by Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck again cruelly missing out through injury.
But it is the inclusion Welbeck’s Arsenal teammate Wilshere that raised the most eyebrows. Drinkwater made 32 more Premier League appearances than Wilshere last season and ended up a title winner – but Hodgson has decided to gamble on Wilshere’s fitness in France even though he made only three appearances for Arsenal during the last campaign, two as a substitute.
England are boldly taking their youngest squad since the 1958 World Cup to France, with an average age of 25, perhaps with one eye on the 2018 tournament in Russia in terms of bringing back the trophy. But there remain huge question marks over their notoriously creaky defence with only three recognised central defenders in the squad.
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