Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen are two of the greatest talents England has produced for a generation.

Both found international glory early in their careers and, though still relatively young in footballing terms, they have become established global stars in the game.

And now Theo Walcott has join them on the list of prodigious England strikers.

The 17-year-old Arsenal player was chosen for the World Cup squad on Monday and could become the youngest ever player to represent his country if, as expected, he features in the friendly against Hungary at the end of May.

The likes of Rooney and Owen have been put in at young ages, maybe if he could do something they’ve been doing in their careers he might go far.   

Owen came on the scene at the last World Cup to be held in Europe  France ’98 — when he scored an incredible goal against Argentina.

Wayne Rooney shone at Euro 2004.

I believe he is going to prove it to the world that what Owen and rooney did is what he is going to do just that if not better.

I trust Wenger too!

I will blame the defence is very bad look at those chick goals, theyshould have change the keeper when theyknow that is just recovering and they know they are playing in the final.

As for walcot lets wait and see may this is his own year, if is not good they wont have choose him

bros exactly,

besides walcott is a gunner, gunners are dangerous. ( ok biased)

But they guy has the speed to rplace rooney. Ericksson watched him in training, Ericksson must have seen something . And what he saw must have been so promising he took a gamble on darren bent. Lets wait to see what Ericksson saw

thanks nightrider lets wait and see

I hope ericsson was right, if he does well,
it will improve his performance 4 the gunners next season too

@Niterider
i hope ure right

the guy is quite aite, watched his video, you guys can check it out

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1120413272462283606&q=theo+walcot

@Badman888


u mean he play good football?

yea he plays good football

His short video:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/56388/theo_walcott/

not bad, but there are buts

In a recent interview, Shaun Wright-Phillips told the whole world that Sven categorically told him that he's not going to the world cup because he(Shaun) did not play enough matches.

He's now asking the Coach " How many matches does Theo walcott play in the premiership?"

@ Akola,
I am not even blaming Sven Goatie Eriksson for taking Theo Walcott to the world cup but why leave him on the bench especially when Owen is now ruled out for the rest of the tournament.
Eriksson should start playing the traditional 4-4-2 cos the 4-1-4-1 formation will not work against a mentally-fit Portugese side.
I think Sven goofed it by dropping Defoe for Walcott but he should be prepared to take risks and play Walcott in subsequent matches.

I can see some invicible hand that compel Sven to include Theo.


Daren Bent is by far qualify to be included in that squad.

the invisible hand being Wenger right?

I think sven was just trying to appear to be an adventurous coach, but he's shown that he is exactly the opposite. I hope they give the boy a chance to play though, even if just for 15 mins or something. I always felt it was a bad gamble to carry 2 semi-injured strikers out of the 4 you have t the world cup. defore should definitely have been included, at least he has some international experience, the england team is too midfield heavy, they could have dropped downing or jenas and added defoe.

debosky:

the invisible hand being Wenger right?

Maybe him or David Dein [ i hope Gunners will not linch me here]

It was that asshole David Dein that pressured SVEN into the freaky idea.
Thank God he's been voted off the FA board.
I hate his guts

I guess its open to speculation, whether it was Dein or Wenger if Sven was pressured, it shows what little strength of character he has, i can't imagine anyone pressuring Luiz Felipe Scolari into playing anyone, good thing sven is on his way out

Stop deceiving urself.

The job is very difficult especially with the English Press and FA.
Any manager will be pressured in England irrespective of who u are.

Can u tell me the reasons why Scolari declined to take the job of the England manager?
Any Manager willing to take that job should be prepared and be ready to take pressure from the Press,The FA and the Fans.
These factors collectively can make or break personalities in England.

Mourinho nearly ran away from Stamford Bridge at a point last season because of this same pressure.
The press will always wanna know why u didnt play this dude or that guy.
Just watch what will happen when England crashes out of the world cup-the WAGs will face a firing squad from the press.

Jackal:

The job is very difficult especially with the English Press and FA.
Any manager will be pressured in England irrespective of who u are.

Scolari has held a high pressure job as Brazilian coach. He didn't crack, but then he may not want to go thru hell again.

Jackal:

Can u tell me the reasons why Scolari declined to take the job of the England manager?

It seems Scolari just wanted a pay raise from the Portuguese FA. Nothing like an "I'm leaving" threat to force out the checkbook.

i insist, if he's forced to take a player he is ot worth his salt, yeah mourinho was pressured, did he budge? If sven was 'pressured' into taking walcott (which i don't think is the case), he doesn't have the guts to be england coach. besides being the coach of brazil is arguably more difficult than being england coach, so if scolari handled brazillian pressure, he can handle english pressure.
besides you're mixing up the issues, no-one was hyping walcott before the world up ( even though wenger told sven to consider him), the guy just wanted to seem progressive and 'adventurous'. so it wasnt press pressure that made sven pick theo, besides he hasnt even put the boy on the field yet, at the rate he's going he probably won't till england is losing and there's 10 minutes left, or if rooney and crouch also get injured/suspended

Sven actually speak to Mr wenger before taking him to Germany.

no doubt, who else would he speak to if not the man who decided to spend 5m on a 16 yr old?

Wenger obviously sees something in theo, and sven wanted to know what it was, by the way even wenger said he was suprised by walcott's inclusion

enough conspiracy/influence theories. if sven fails its because of his actions, not because he was influenced by the FA, Dein or Wenger.

This man Sven just blundered Erikkson.
Why carry Walcott and not use him?
Now, if he has not used him in preliminaries does he want to gamble in Q finals?
He has wasted our lad and am not happy.
Rooney stepped on him with his elephantiasis hooves and completely injured him.

Theo take heart even Fabregas,Luca Toni,Rooney have so far disappointed.The world cup is for the experienced like Patrick Vieirra

Priscila:


Why carry Walcott and not use him?

He has wasted our lad and am not happy.

If he's not good enough to be fielded by Mr Wenger, how come Sven will use him.

it wasn't that he wasn't good enough, arsenal were fighting for their lives, it would have been unfair to theo to put him into such a pressure cooker condition and expect him to perform, if it was another point in the season, he wd've played. sven had his chance to look at him and decide, so if he knew wasnt going to play him, he shouldnt have taken him

ITS NOT THAT HE'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH EVERYONE HAS THEIR TIME at arsenal u dont just field players like walcott to get injured!
and io dont understand why some people think david dein or wenger pressured sven into taking walcott when w#they themselves were suprised at his inclusion

sven is the england manager so i dont think its has anything to do with arsenal management

LoverBwoy:

sven is the england manager so i don't think its has anything to do with arsenal management

It has.
Sven says he has a talk with Mr wenger.


He is a good player but he can't even play for Shooting Stars of Ibadan.

Maybe he will be unveiled tommorow against a physical Portugal.

well the england manager is suppose to speak to all the managers to know whats what
he probably spoke to him about the "gamble" he was about to take

Ferguson didnt want rooney to go to the world cup, he was shouting everywhere theres no point taking an injuered player to the games even though he's the only hope for england

England 3 portugal 1 (diving in the box)

theo walcott is playing in today's match and he's gonna make an impact, he may score,

its sven's joker, come to think of it the real joker here is sven

I wonder why Erikson included Theo in his team list

No need 2 wonder, i guess he was just there 2 clean da other players boots!

Scheisse Erikkson!

if the referee hasnt red carded rooney for just touching ronaldo then theo would have played

the officials in this worlcd cup are a bunch of jokers!