Sunday Aug 13 2006 11:52
Arsenal teenager Theo Walcott has been backed to make a return to the England senior squad by new boss Steve McClaren, having been dropped to the Under-21s.
Walcott was a surprise selection for the World Cup finals, but McClaren feels he will benefit from time back at a lower level, having not been used in Germany this summer.
"Theo Walcott is a very good player, he has a bright future and a future playing for England," McClaren said.
"But what he needs now is that experience he needs to play regularly at this level.
"We will give him that opportunity at under-21 level and, hopefully, he will break through and we will see him at senior level again."
Meanwhile, Steven Gerrard has hit out at Walcott's summer call-up by Sven-Goran Eriksson.
He told The News of The World: "He certainly shouldn't have brought Theo Walcott to Germany.
"I almost fell over when I heard. Theo's a nice lad and one day he will mature into a very good player, but he had no right to be in Germany, none at all.
"I was gobsmacked to find him on the plane."
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