World NewsNo Friendlies, Even In Theo-Ry |
Theo Walcott might not have been around the England camp for long but he has quickly learned one important fact - there is no such thing as a friendly.
With 70,000 fans paying good money at Wembley for a meeting with the Czech Republic, Fabio Capello's side know there are under pressure to perform.Capello may be more concerned about England getting their form right ahead of the World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and, crucially, Croatia next month but Walcott realises an expectant public awaits this evening.
"We have had meetings to try to get it into our heads that every game is a cup final with England," Walcott told www.thefa.com.
"There are no friendlies.
"We have got to go out there and play well, win the game and take that into the qualifiers."
Having been the surprise choice of Sven-Goran Eriksson for the 2006 World Cup, becoming England's youngest player at 17 years and 75 days in the pre-tournament meeting with Hungary despite not even starting a game for Arsenal, Walcott may well have missed out on the European Championships had his country qualified under Steve McClaren.
Eager to distance himself from the Eriksson regime, Walcott was one of the players McClaren had jettisoned.
But with the campaign going disastrously wrong for the former Middlesbrough manager, now bringing even more ridicule on himself in Holland, Walcott can look back on a summer of disappointment just like anyone else.
"It was a shame that we couldn't be there," the 19-year-old explained.
"Watching the Euros on TV, I thought it would have been great to be there, and having been to a World Cup I know what to expect."
Instead, the Arsenal man has had to put up with the gleeful antics of team-mate Cesc Fabregas, offering an insight into what it is like to be a tournament winner for your country.
"I said right from the start that Spain would win it," said Walcott.
"Cesc who was brilliant throughout the tournament. He was buzzing when he came back to Arsenal.
"It's always good to have a trophy-winner coming back into the changing room.
"It gets everyone on a high. To see his face when he came back to training for the first time just shows what a big player he is and what he did for Spain."
Walcott's aims are rather less lofty but he is on the right road to achieving them.
Despite sending most of his young players back to the Under-21s, including Micah Richards, Walcott survived the cut for this evening's game.
And while Emile Heskey and Wayne Rooney are tipped for the striking berths, Walcott must have a chance of winning his third cap, having collected his second two years after his first on the trip to Trinidad in June.
"I really enjoyed being out in Trinidad and to get a run out for 20 minutes was great," said Walcott.
"I really enjoyed it and it shows the hard work I've put in.
"My target this season is to start every single game I can."
Copyright (c) 2009 Press Association
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