Wednesday 30 March 2016 08:25, UK
Danny Drinkwater believes there is still time for him to make a late claim for a place in England's squad for the European Championships.
The midfielder was named man of the match at Wembley in what was an impressive international debut against the Netherlands.
The match was the last before Roy Hodgson names his final 23-man squad which will travel to France, and despite not having played in any of England's qualifying games, Drinkwater believes he can still convince the England manager he deserves his place on the plane.
"Hopefully I've not done myself any harm, it's just about carrying on now until the end of the season, and seeing if I can add to it," he told Sky Sports News HQ after the game. "The lads have made it easy for me all week, it's an easy team to settle in to.
"A bit of game time helped me tonight, I was able get on the ball, so it's been easy to settle into the squad. I enjoyed it, I saw plenty of the ball, but maybe could have moved it a bit faster. I enjoyed the position."
Drinkwater admitted the defeat to the Netherlands took the shine off of what was an otherwise special night, as England surrendered a first-half lead to lose 2-1. He was seen complaining to Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz after the Netherlands scored their winning goal, insisting there was a foul on England defender Phil Jagielka in the build-up.
The England players also felt aggrieved after Danny Rose earlier conceded a penalty for handball, although Drinkwater stopped short of criticising the match official.
"We can't really blame the decisions, they've cost us two goals but we could have maybe moved the ball at bit faster, created more chances, so it's one of those things," Drinkwater said. "Personally I enjoyed my debut - it was a big achievement - but overall I was disappointed with the result."
England's goal came courtesy of Drinkwater's Leicester team-mate, Jamie Vardy, whose place in the England squad must now be assured. His name received arguably the loudest cheer when the starting line-up was announced before the game - he is rapidly becoming a cult hero among England supporters - and his performance only served to confirm he is capable of taking his Premier League form onto the international stage.
Vardy's goal was the culmination of a wonderful team move, and if not as spectacular as Saturday night's finish against Germany, it once again showed his predatory instinct in the penalty area. With it, his tally for the season rose to 21 goals for club and country, and making the final England squad for this summer's tournament seemingly inevitable.
"He's got two in two now, he's more than capable of doing it," Drinkwater said. "The more goals he gets the better he is and the more confidence he'll get. He's flying and the more he gets on the ball the better."
For Vardy and Drinkwater the focus now turns to the remaining seven Premier League matches, as Leicester City look aim to win title in what promises to be a thrilling climax to the domestic season. This weekend Leicester City host Southampton on Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
