Arsenal Football Club News

• Nickname:Gunners
• Founded:1886
• Manager:Arsene Wenger

• Ground:Emirates
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Wenger backs Walcott

14 Oct 2006 - 11:47:50

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has again backed teenage striker Theo Walcott to make a first-team impact with the Gunners in the near future.

Walcott, still only 17, has made four appearances as a sub for Arsenal this term, while he served notice of his massive potential with both goals in England Under-21s' victory over Germany in midweek.

Wenger said: "He can do it for us.

"He can start for Arsenal, but he must not only be good enough to start for us, he must be better than the player who starts for us and at the moment, that is where his problem is.

"Theo was ready to come on at the World Cup, he was maybe not ready to start the games with all the pressure.

"But when the space opens up, it does not matter if you are 17 or 30, if you are quick, you are quick.

"I feel Theo is a player who will just naturally make it, he has the technical and physical qualities and he is level-headed.

"He still has his feet on the ground after going to the World Cup and I am very positive about him."