England boss Gareth Southgate said that Jack Wilshere has "unquestionable talent" when revealing his reasons for calling the Arsenal midfielder into his 27-man squad for the upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy.

Wilshere has not represented England since Euro 2016, but after working his way back into the Arsenal team, the 26-year-old has earned an international return.

Southgate has claimed that Wilshere's "technical ability in the middle of the park" is a key reason for his call-up, while Bournemouth's Lewis Cook has also earned a spot in the squad for his use of the ball.

"Jack's a player that has unquestionable talent. The key for me is that he is playing in the games that matter for Arsenal. He's getting closer to where we want him," Southgate told reporters.

"His technical ability in the middle of the park will be very useful. That's why Lewis Cook has been called up, too. He's comfortable picking the ball up anywhere and we want to play through the midfield."

England will travel to the Netherlands on March 23 before hosting Italy on March 27.