Arsenal winger believes teammate can handle the step up
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is confident new teammate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can make the step up into the senior England squad after his impressive start to life at the Emirates Stadium.
The 18-year-old winger has impressed for the Gunners since joining from Southampton in the summer scoring in both of his starts against Shrewsbury and Olympiacos.
He has been tipped as an outside bet for Fabio Capello’s Euro 2012 squad and Walcott believes he can make the step up with ease having followed a similar route back in 2006.
He told the clubs official website: “When you get the opportunities [as a teenager] you have to grab it with both hands and he has done that,” Walcott told Arsenal Player.
“He’s shown what he can do in the Carling Cup games and the Champions League. He’s got a good head, he wants to learn, and that’s very important. He’s very relaxed as well and that does him a big favour because he fits in well.
“Alex has definitely got the potential to be there [at Euro 2012]. I don’t think I deserved to go to the World Cup in 2006 but I hadn’t played any games in the Premier League while Alex has played in the Champions League. He knows he has a lot to learn but he is showing very good signs at this moment in time.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain’s move from the Saint’s mirrors that of Walcott’s after he moved to North London five-years ago before being called up to Sven Goran Eriksson’s World Cup squad despite his tender years.
