Theo Walcott has only been back at Southampton for a matter of days but Kyle Walker-Peters has already made a big impression on the returning Saints hero, as reported by Hampshire Live.
Ahead of what could be his first appearance in those iconic red-and-white stripes for 15 years, the one-time wonderkid is now a grizzled veteran hoping for a triumphant return to where it all began.
With Will Smallbone, Michael Obafemi, Che Adams and others fast becoming key members of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad, Walcott’s experience on and off the pitch means he is suddenly an elder statesman in a fresh-faced dressing room.
Speaking ahead of the Premier League’s return this weekend, Walcott admitted another promising up-and-comer had caught his eye during the past week – a 23-year-old who joined from Tottenham in a £12 million deal in the summer.
“I am rooming with Kyle (Walker-Peters) at the moment and he is a very honest and good kid. He wants to work hard and, with him on the right and me on the right, we are already getting a good relationship going,” Walcott said in comments that will have Saints fans drooling.
“From what I have seen of him on the training pitch, he is a grafter who wants to do well. He turned his loan spell into a permanent move and that has worked out really well for him.
“He has big ambitions. He wants to play for England and this will be a big season for him and he has impressed me.
“I have had my eye on a couple of the others players too but it’s Kyle who has really stood out to me.”
The former England U21 international is still just 26 league games into his professional career but appears to be growing in confidence by the week, adding an authoritative streak to his game while driving forwards from the right-hand side.
Southampton are masters when it comes to unearthing diamonds in the right and, in Walker-Peters, there’s another gem on the South Coast.
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