He was called up to the full England squad for the first time on 17 March 2016, ahead of friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands. He made his debut 12 days later in the latter match, a 2–1 loss at Wembley Stadium in which he was man of the match. Drinkwater was named in Roy Hodgson's 26-man provisional squad for UEFA Euro 2016 but was one of three players axed for the final selection.
