Walcott has his say on Under-21 inclusion

March 20, 2009

England winger Theo Walcott has insisted that he is not disappointed to be included in the Under-21 squad as opposed to the full international side.. He has only just returned to action after a significant injury lay off and with this in mind, he was not surprised at the news that Fabio Capello has decided against selecting him for now.

Speaking about the situation, Walcott said that because he only made his first start against Blackburn last weekend, there is no way he could have expected to walk straight back into the England team. Whatever level he is asked to play for his country is ‘an honour’ according to Walcott though and he insists that he will be focused on doing well for Stuart
Pearce’s team.

The 20-year-old then revealed how he would play for the Under-21 team in the European Championships this summer if he is selected. He missed the last one because of a shoulder injury and should Capello and Pearce agree for him to be involved, Walcott will be more than happy.

Realistically though, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger probably won’t be pleased with this arrangement. After a four month spell out injured, the Frenchman will probably want Walcott to rest as much as possible in the close season.

Then, Walcott can start the next campaign refreshed and injury free. This is something that would benefit Arsenal and England in the long run, so perhaps an Under-21 tournament this summer isn’t the way to go.

The Arsenal man was England’s first-choice right winger before his injury and Capello will still consider him to be one of his main attacking threats leading up the World Cup next year. The hat-trick Walcott scored in Croatia cemented his place in the international team and he will want to show good form for Arsenal in the coming months to make this the case again.

Capello isn’t the type of manager who just throws players back into competitive action though and Walcott will need to prove his fitness. Overall, it is an important few months for one of England’s brightest stars.

Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.