Arsene Wenger and I have no issues over Theo Walcott selection says Stuart Pearce

09 October 2009 09:33
Sign up to watch Ukraine against England now [LNB]The Frenchman had originally wanted the winger, who has only recently returned from injury, to be excluded from international duty in a bid to ease himself back into action. But Walcott will feature in the U21 side's Euro 2011 qualifier against Macedonia tonight, and Pearce is adamant that the call up has not caused any upset between him and Wenger. [LNB] Related ArticlesRooney delights in Ronaldo's qualifying painWatch Ukraine v England live onlineWayne Rooney: Ronaldo wink got me off the hookWayne Rooney not planning baby dashPapers: Let's all laugh at Cristiano RonaldoMichael Owen: more to life than EnglandSupporting Fabio Capello's bid for Premier League managers to appreciate how important their player's international roles are, Pearce told the Sun: "The beauty of my relationship with Arsene was we disagreed, but we did not disagree in a nasty way. [LNB]"He put his point of view across and I put mine. We both disagreed on each other's view point and we went our separate ways. [LNB]"We did it over the phone and that is what you have to have - commonsense chats with managers. We are borrowing their players but we are also doing that for the betterment of English football and for the players themselves. [LNB]"There is no long term dislike. Certainly from my point of view because I know he has been very supportive of me. I have got Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere here so this time it was important that I rang him first. [LNB]"We were talking about a player that had not actually played this season yet so it was important I asked him how he felt on Theo's fitness."[LNB]Walcott made his first appearance of the season against Blackburn at the weekend after coming on as a second half substitution, and Pearce insists that had he not featured last weekend, a call up would have been out of the question. [LNB]"I rang Arsene and said: 'What are your views of Theo coming to join the U21s' - and he said it was a great idea. He needs the games and he needs the fitness and that was that. [LNB]"My job is to please the public of England with results and hopefully get the players through this squad into the senior squad. [LNB]"I think club managers do realise that I look after their players. I f ever a player is not right, not fit, they have never been wheeled out on to a football pitch."[LNB]Sign up to watch Ukraine against England now[LNB]EmailPrint .at15t_email {display:none !important;}Share|tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/england/6279626/Arsene-Wenger-and-I-have-no-issues-over-Theo-Walcott-selection-says-Stuart-Pearce.html';tweetmeme_style = 'compact';tweetmeme_source = 'TelegraphNews';Email|Printhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/england/6279626/Arsene-Wenger-and-I-have-no-issues-over-Theo-Walcott-selection-says-Stuart-Pearce.htmlTelegraphNews England 

Source: Telegraph