Arsenal, England, Featured, World Cup 2010
Walcott’s consummate evening offers England renewed hope
Theo Walcott enjoyed the perfect evening as he tore apart the Croatian defence in England's impressive victory.
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- Theo Walcott completes his hat-trick on a wonderful night
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- England players celebrate another Walcott goal as they ease to victory
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- Fabio Capello was delighted with Walcott's stunning performance
Theo Walcott has made an inauspicious start to his Arsenal career after revealing himself at Southampton as one of the top English talents, but his credentials with the national side could not be better after his starring role against Croatia.
A self-confident and brilliantly talented player, those traits served Walcott well when Sven-Goran Eriksson selected him for England’s 2006 World Cup squad. It was a bewildering selection by the Swede, who failed to once use the then 17-year-old as another tournament came to a frustrating close.
Lesser personalities might have been overawed by such a selection - and then a blatant lack of confidence shown in him once in the squad - but Walcott continued to make the right noises, insisting the trip to Germany would put him in good stead for the future.
That remains to be seen, but Walcott certainly wasn’t intimidated when joining his team-mates for England duty in the opening two World Cup qualifiers. And even less so when put in against Croatia from the start in the biggest game of his career thus far. Oh, and also ahead of England legend and former captain David Beckham.
There was no need to worry about Walcott’s temperament, as it proved.
Assisted ably by the height of Emile Heskey and the verve of Wayne Rooney - who enjoyed one of his best games for country since the Euros four years ago - Walcott excelled.
It was Croatia’s first competitive defeat at home, and they can look to the energetic Arsenal man as the key cause behind this embarrassment. Three exact finishes reminded viewers of the predatory instincts of former England hero Michael Owen, and it seems Walcott is now ready to emulate the Newcastle striker. He may even be ready to lead the line with Capello having already indicated that he trusts the teenager ahead of a (former, dare we say it) favourite like Beckham. Walcott could easily be moved alongside Heskey having intimated his scoring prowess, with Rooney playing in a more withdrawn role.
The Italian was full of praise for the prodigy, “He is young and so dangerous for defenders. He is one of the most important young players in England.”
With pace that few defenders can deal with, instant control of the ball, and a lethal shot, Walcott has all the attributes to become the next Owen. A start in England’s next qualifier at home to Kazakhstan is surely guaranteed after his first three goals for country, where the watching supporters will get a glimpse of a potential new star, who has arrived just in time to replace the fading Owen.
A Rooney-Walcott partnership is in its infancy but early signs suggest it could be one that helps England return to the world elite following years of exile.
Tags: Arsenal, Croatia, David Beckham, Emile Heskey, England, Fabio Capello, Southampton, Sven-Goran Eriksson, Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney, World Cup 2010
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another imbecile headline pls can you explain how theo has failed at his club
I suggest you watch a few Arsenal games and speak to a few supporters before calling Theo a failure. We’re all aware of his age and that it will take tim for him to mature into a great player. Make no mistake, he is well on his way to becoming that great player and at the best club to nurture that talent. It’s morons like you thatcause the England team so many problems. What is your pedigree? What gives you the right to make these statements?
What an absolute prat you are. Walcott is 19 and is certainly not a failure at his club, where he is being nurtured to encourage him to give the kind of peformance he gave last night. At his age he will have a few games like last night because he has the talent, but more often he will not. He has still much to prove in terms of becoming a consisteny top class player. Such consistency will come only with maturity and experience added to his prodigious talent.
[...] We return to our occasional series known as What Capello Should Do With The England Right-Side. Now that Shaun Wright-Phillips is playing well and smiling back in a Manchester City shirt, is it not now time finally to end the involvement of the honourable but no-longer adequate David Beckham, who continues to ply his trade in the sub-standard Major League Soccer? There is a common nonsensical notion that Beckham continues to be in the England squad simply because nobody has convincingly claimed to be his natural successor, a myth exposed by David Bentley’s superior set-piece taking in the friendly against the Czech Republic in August and exploded by Theo Walcott’s hat-trick in Zagreb. [...]