Walcott excited to be shaping England's future with Wilshere

Winger upbeat about start of new international chapter and Arsenal's chances of winning the league

(Reuters)

it helps that Theo Walcott is of a naturally sunny disposition that he can put disappointment to one side so quickly. At 21 he has experienced as much triumph and despair as most footballers encounter in a career and he knows better than most that fates can turn very quickly.

Left out of Fabio Capello's World Cup squad in May, Walcott finds himself a central part of a remodelled England team tomorrow night against Denmark that places him and his fellow Arsenal prodigy Jack Wilshere at its heart. One month short of his 22nd birthday, Walcott played the elder statesman yesterday, agreeing to step in at the last minute when the 19-year-old Wilshere decided that he did not fancy facing the media at the England team hotel.

For Walcott and Wilshere, this is an England game that feels like a new chapter is opening on the national team even if the reality is that many of the big guns will be back in contention when the side play their next Euro 2012 qualifier, against Wales next month. For Wilshere, in particular, there is a chance to put down a marker that, with Steven Gerrard out and Frank Lampard just coming back to fitness and form, Capello does have other options in midfield.

Wilshere's international career will not hinge on one performance, although it is hard to remember a young player being given such emphatic public backing from Capello as Wilshere was given last month. After the manager declared that Wilshere would start the game, the next question is whether he is entirely suited to the role Capello seems determined to play him in: that of one of two holding midfielders.

"Jack's an absolute dream to play with, especially when you play on the right-hand side and he has got an absolutely gifted left foot," Walcott said. "He can just ping it over to you. He spots the ball that no one else would – apart from Cesc [Fabregas], I suppose. Cesc spots everything.

"But he breaks down the play very well as well and I'm sure, given the role, he will grab it with both hands because he's the kind of player who plays with no fear. He's the kind of player who always wants to win – in training as well. And that's great to see in a young player."

So how long did it take to for Wilshere and Walcott to get Arsenal's second-half, four-goal retreat against Newcastle on Saturday out of their system? As far as Walcott was concerned he stopped worrying about that as soon as Arsenal's flight from the North-east touched down at Luton airport on Saturday evening and he found out that Manchester United had lost to Wolves.

"When we landed, we all turned on our phones and had a little check of the United result," Walcott said. "Everybody had grins on their faces. It changed the mood, the boss's mood as well. It's a point gained [on United].

"None of us wanted to look the boss [Arsène Wenger] in the eye [after the game], that's for sure. It was such a disappointment, when you are 4-0 up and want to win the league, it shouldn't happen. Even if you go down to 10 men, it's so difficult. Newcastle did very well, taught us a lesson, with a bit of a help from a couple of penalties.

"The boss would have gone home thinking that it was a point gained and we can build on that now, particularly after the first-half performance. That's the best first half I've been involved in since I have been at Arsenal."

For the first time in Walcott's Arsenal career, he is being asked about the realistic possibility of winning the title with the season already in February. "It is looking good, we are only four points behind them [United]. They have got to play Chelsea twice and I know we don't want to rely on other teams but as long as we keep on winning and getting those points it is going to be a good end to the season.

"We have got a couple more players in the summer window that helped us out. We haven't got so many injuries and it's important we keep Robin [van Persie] fit as well. He's a big player for us. It's definitely our year.

"I think [winning] the league would be massive for us. It's the hard work over the whole season. So many games and so many ups and downs – that would be the biggest one to win. But just to win something and break down that disappointing five years without anything. So the Carling Cup's a great fixture, it's not going to be easy, it's a final and anything can happen. But it's the Premier League for me. I want to win that one."

Thoughts now turn to Copenhagen tomorrow, and a friendly that England approach without either Rio Ferdinand or Gerrard, their two first-choice captains and three more who would otherwise be part of Fabio Capello's squad. But look on the bright side. It is also a chance for Walcott and his club-mate Wilshere to give their manager a glimpse of what the future might be like.

Capello's other key point last month was that he regretted not taking Walcott to the World Cup finals in the summer, even if it had been just to use him as a late substitute. Walcott has said in the past that on reflection he agreed with Capello's decision, although that did not stop him asking the Italian before the game against Bulgaria in September why he had done it.

"I just asked after training, literally on the pitch because he is the sort of man you can go up to and ask anything and he will help you," Walcott said. "I was happy with the answer. Those are the sort of things you want to keep between yourself and the manager and you don't let out."

This time last year, Arsenal had just lost consecutive league games to Manchester United and Chelsea and, nine points off the lead with 13 games to play, were considered out of the running for the title. Walcott was in the process of playing himself out of Capello's plans for the World Cup. A year on, life looks a lot rosier, even if Walcott is not taking anything for granted.