Theo Walcott has once again missed out on a major tournament with England following a poor season with Arsenal.
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott
Arsenal legend Thierry Henry told ESPN how he believes Theo Walcott’s lack of a specialised position has hurt his chances for both club and country.
Walcott was omitted from England manager Roy Hodgson’s provisional squad for Euro 2016, and Henry feels there is an obvious reason as to why:
Thierry Henry played with Walcott at Arsenal
“He has struggled. I always have a mixed reaction, Theo Walcott has been in the game for 10 years, he should know what he can offer to a team. By now he should know what his position is, but it is not clear.”
Walcott really struggled over this past season for the Gunner’s and was used sparingly in the latter parts of the campaign, being preferred to by 20-year-old Alex Iwobi.
His pace will always be a fantastic option for club and country, but speaking to ESPN, Henry has questioned why that has not been utilised by Hodgson in the absence of Danny Welbeck and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, although the Frenchman made it clear that it is hard to include a player so low on form and confidence in a major tournament squad:
“His 10 years at Arsenal have been a weird one. Apart from one season where he played more than 30 games, he wasn’t really a starter. If Welbeck is out and Oxlade-Chamberlain is out, we all know how important pace is in the way Hodgson wants to play, but if you go, you have to have performed.”
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott applauds fans
The Southampton academy graduate has scored only 55 Premier League goals in his 10-year Arsenal career, a worryingly low amount when you consider the club he plays for creates more chances than any other side in the league.
The 26-year-old must decide on a position where he feels he can establish himself for the next four or five years with both club an country, because if he doesn’t he will be in danger of being phased out of both set-ups.
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott was frequently on the substitutes bench in the second half of the season
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