England watch - Theo Walcott
Walcott was not a name on anyone's lips, until World Cup 2006
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Wednesday, 11, Oct 2006 12:37
The England under-21 team have taken a giant stride towards silencing their plentiful critics by securing their place in next summer's European Championships. An impressive 2-0 win in Germany did the trick and several players will have done their chances of earning a senior call-up no harm whatsoever.
One player in particular, the scorer of both goals, stood out a mile despite playing only 15 minutes, and his efforts have reinforced his claims for a regular place in Steve McClaren's plans.
Therefore, eighth up in our England watch series - a youngster who genuinely needs little more introduction.
Name: Theo Walcott
Position: Forward
Club: Arsenal
Age at start of South Africa 2010: 21
Theo Walcott has the world at his feet. Well, that's what most football pundits would have you believe. But is it just a lot of hot air about a kid with plenty of potential or a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled?
What little we have to go on - and it happened to be enough for a scrupulous Arsene Wenger to fork out £5m+ and for Sven-Goran Eriksson to take him to Germany 2006 - would suggest that the 17-year-old has a very bright future ahead of him.
One of the most striking things about Walcott is his calm manner. Rapid progress at Southampton, the limelight at Arsenal and the media circus surrounding his World Cup inclusion have all failed to faze him. And now that he has the likes of Thierry Henry for a teammate, and Wenger as a mentor, he should continue to have tongues wagging and defenders dancing for many years to come.
So far this season, the lightning-quick winger-cum-striker has made four substitute appearances for Arsenal, two in the Premiership and two in the Champions League. In each competition, his introduction has proved crucial as he directly set up goals, against Aston Villa and Dynamo Zagreb, saving his side's blushes in the process.
And what of his international pedigree? Well, after the farcical circumstances that saw him elevated to England's World Cup squad before he had even had a kick in top-flight football, young Theo has settled to life in the under-21s like a duck to water. It took him just three minutes of his debut to notch his first goal in 2-2 draw with Moldova, while he was positively slouch-like in using up 13 minutes to find the back of the net on his second cap against Switzerland.
But his finest moment yet saw him come off the bench with 14 minutes to play against Germany in the aforementioned under-21s European Championship play-off second leg. With the tie delicately poised, Walcott scored two delightful goals that emphasised all his attributes - raw pace, great composure and a deadly finish which Henry himself would have been proud of.
He may not have made an impact during the 2006 World Cup, but a happier return to enemy territory proved that the Arsenal player has what it takes to succeed at the highest level - and you can bet your bottom dollar he will be no whimsical, wild card selection when 2010 comes around. Although the manager might remain equally inept.
England's 2010 World Cup squad
*Players in bold - tickets to South Africa booked already
Goalkeepers
Paul Robinson
Possibles: Chris Kirkland, Ben Foster, Rob Green, Scott Carson
Defenders
John Terry, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher
Possibles: Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Anton Ferdinand, Leighton Baines, Justin Hoyte, Curtis Davies, Wes Brown, Phil Bardsley, Michael Mancienne
Midfielders
Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick
Possibles: Aaron Lennon, Tom Huddlestone, Nigel Reo-Coker, Lee Cattermole, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stewart Downing, Giles Barnes, James Morrison, Kieran Richardson
Forwards
Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen
Possibles: David Nugent, Theo Walcott, James Vaughan, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Darren Bent, Dean Ashton, Cameron Jerome