May 12th, 2006 By: regisuzuki

Theo Walcott may not have kicked a ball in anger for Arsenal but the England teenager will be writing his name into the record books in the coming weeks.

The surprise name in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s provisional England squad for the FIFA World Cup, Walcott will supplant Wayne Rooney as his country’s youngest ever player if, as some expect, he makes his senior international debut against either Hungary or Jamaica in the run-up to the finals.

Walcott will be 17 years and 86 days old when England play their opening match against Paraguay, meaning he could become the second youngest player in finals history behind Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside, who appeared at the 1982 FIFA World Cup 41 days after his 17th birthday.

And if, as England fans hope, Eriksson’s men go all the way to the Final on 9 July, he could, at 17 years and 116 days, become the youngest player to appear in a FIFA World Cup Final, beating the record set by Pele in 1958, when the Brazilian was 17 years and 249 days. Not bad for a teenager not included in Arsenal’s 18-man squad for the UEFA Champions League final.

Walcott, who was taking his driving theory test when the England squad was announced, has played only 23 times in senior football, appearing in second division and cup matches for his first club, Southampton, prior to joining Arsenal in January.

Like any Premiership football watcher, Eriksson has not seen Walcott play 90 minutes in the flesh – the Swede said yesterday that he had "seen a lot of him on videos" – and admitted his likely role was as a substitute. "I don’t think Walcott or (Arsenal manager Arsene) Wenger think he is going to play seven games of 90 minutes in the World Cup. But sitting on the bench, if I see there is space out there, I will use his pace."

His pace has certainly impressed his Arsenal team-mates, who have seen the youngster outsprint Thierry Henry on the training ground. Arsenal’s Côte d’Ivoire defender Kolo Toure said: "He is still young and learning but he is so fast, it is amazing. I have played against him in training and he is really, really quick. I think he will be one of the best strikers in England one day."

Eriksson appears to believe that day has already arrived and unless another coach produces a similar surprise with his squad selection, Walcott will be the youngest player on show at the FIFA World Cup. Depending on his opportunities and impact, he could even be a candidate for the inaugural Gillette Best Young Player Award.

World Cup Betting Odds: Sports Interaction

Brazil 4/1

Germany 15/2

England 15/2

Argentina 9/1

France 10/1

Netherlands 13/1

World Cup Betting Tips: Looking for a longshot? BET on the Dutch team.

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