Walcott bids to impress Capello

02 May 2010 13:17
Theo Walcott hopes to make full use of Arsenal's final two Premier League games of the season to cement his place in England's World Cup squad.[LNB] The 21-year-old was hampered by injury earlier in the campaign, but has recently produced a number of impressive displays, including when he came off the bench to score in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona.[LNB]Walcott knows how important it is to finish the season in good form, especially with competition for places in Fabio Capello's final 23-man squad for South Africa hotting up with Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon now playing again after his injury lay-off.[LNB]"I have not played much this season and I feel fresh, so hopefully the more games I get to play, the better I will be and I will get to be on the plane," said Walcott, who has four goals from 28 appearances, 15 off the bench.[LNB]"The World Cup is the biggest dream of all for every boy - everyone dreams of a 1966 moment, at least I know I do.[LNB]"Hopefully we can make it another one.[LNB]"We believe we can win it and we will do everything to bring the World Cup back home - it has been too long."[LNB]Walcott came in for criticism following a subdued display in the international friendly against Egypt at Wembley during March - with former England winger Chris Waddle claiming he "doesn't understand the game".[LNB]The Arsenal forward - who smashed a famous hat-trick in the World Cup qualifier against Croatia at the start of last season - maintains his game is moving in the right direction.[LNB]"The thing about being a winger is that it is the end product which matters - you can do everything right, dribble past people and beat your men, but just not get a final ball in," Walcott said in the May edition of the official Arsenal magazine.[LNB]"Players like David Bentley and James Milner have that end product and hopefully I am showing that in my own game a little more.[LNB]"Sometimes people think I do not realise that it is quite hard to pick people out when you are running so quickly - I just try to put the ball into the space, and if players are getting into the box then it works even better."[LNB]Walcott joined Arsenal in a big-money move when still only 16 during January 2006 and suddenly found himself thrust into the spotlight when he was a controversial inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad despite not having featured for the Gunners first team.[LNB]Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels the former Southampton trainee is on the right track, despite being an easy target for critics.[LNB]"After coming back from injury, I believe Theo is on the way to efficiency," Wenger said.[LNB]"For me he has become more of a man this season, more responsible tactically and he is going the right way.[LNB]"Theo is improving and do not forget, he is still only 21."[LNB]Wenger had personally championed Walcott's inclusion in the last World Cup squad.[LNB]The Arsenal manager feels it would be a major disappointment were the young forward, who played for the Under-21s in last summer's European Championships, not to go to South Africa.[LNB]"As much as it was a little bit of a present last time, this time it would be a blow [if he missed out]," the Arsenal manager said.

Source: Team_Talk