WHILE the future of John Obi Mikel hangs in the balance, as Chelsea and Manchester United continue their bitter battle to secure the services of the talented young Nigerian, 18, another teenage prodigy appears to be getting the best possible start in his career.
Theo Walcott, the 16-year-old English forward who has been tipped to reach the top of his profession, will take part in his first Arsenal training session today after a ten-day break in the wake of his £12 million move from Southampton. And with the England management team hinting that he will be invited to train with the senior squad, David Beckham has said that Walcott’s record-breaking transfer has been a boost for the national game.
“It’s always good to see young players coming through in our country and he’s obviously a great young player for Arsenal to have bought him,” the England captain said.
“Arsène Wenger has got a great eye for young talent. He’s proved that over the years with the players that he has brought in and I’m sure Theo will end up being a great asset.”
Walcott turns 17 in March, the age that Wayne Rooney was when he made his England debut, and even if he does not receive an official call-up, Sven-Göran Eriksson could follow a precedent set by previous England managers, with talents such as Joe Cole, by inviting him to train with the squad.
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“I think it can be a good thing and it might be something this manager or the next one considers,” Beckham said. “Certainly one of the good things about our team is that we have a lot of senior players who are great when it comes to supporting any young player that comes into the squad.”
Walcott could come face to face with Beckham when Arsenal and Real Madrid meet in the first knockout round of the Champions League on February 21, although the bad news for the youngster’s new club is that the Spanish giants are the form team in Europe, with seven wins and a draw in eight games since the turn of the year.
Beckham believes that Real are rediscovering the stunning form of 2½ seasons ago, when he joined the club. “When I first arrived, we played some great football during the first six months and now I think we have got that back,” he said. “We are also sticking together in matches and that is helping us get wins. It is different to the way it was a few months ago, but we have to make sure we keep it going.”