Roy Hodgson has admitted that Danny Drinkwater's development was being monitored before the start of this season.
The 26-year-old is regarded to have been one of the league leaders Leicester City's key players this term.
However, having included the midfielder in a senior England squad for the first time, Hodgson has revealed that he was aware of Drinkwater's quality before this impressive campaign.
"What he's done has been evident to everybody. He's had a fantastic season, but even last year we were aware of him," the England boss told reporters.
"In that area the competition is quite fierce, but I thought it was a good opportunity to see if he can reproduce the quality that he's shown for Leicester."
Drinkwater has been capped by England at Under-18 and Under-19 level.
