Who’s the next Theo Walcott?

Who’s the next Theo Walcott? By that we mean, who’s the next young footballer to be  plucked from relative obscurity and thrown into England’s World Cup squad at the very last minute, leaving a nation scratching its heads?

In the spring of 2006, then-England manager Sven Goran Eriksson shocked the football establishment by selecting a 17-year-old Arsenal youth player who had never kicked a ball for the first team. Sven never put Walcott on the field in Germany, but by anointing him as England’s next big thing, he literally crushed the young lad’s career under a weight of expectations. Four years on, Walcott may have forced his way into Arsene Wenger’s senior squad, but he has barely shown any signs of improvement. Last weekend’s performance against Sunderland was a perfect example. Plenty of speed, but enough dodgy crosses to fill a graveyard.

There is some argument for bringing along a promising young talent to a big tournament even if you don’t have any intention of actually playing him. A 17-year-old Ronaldo never left the bench for Brazil during World Cup ’94 – but that exposure probably helped him perform better in later tournaments. Does Fabio Capello have the luxury of reserving one of the spots in his squad for a young bystander? And would he even want to? It’s a risky proposition, especially with fringe candidates like Michael Owen and Jermaine Defoe more likely to be needed. But if Capello does decide to gamble on some inexperienced youth, then here are his best bets:

Jack Rodwell – The 18-year-old Everton player scored his first league goal in Everton’s 3-1 win against Manchester United last week. He’s got bags of talent, and as a defensive midfielder he could be a decent replacement for Owen Hargreaves who continues to be out with injury.

Joe Hart – The 22-year-old Birmingham City keeper has actually been called up by Capello for a few friendlies but has never been brought on. With England’s goalkeeping situation in such dire straits, gambling on a young man who has been at the heart of Birmingham‘s surprise season would not be the craziest thing in the world.

Adam Johnson – Snapped up from Middlesbrough by Manchester City in January, the 22-year-old turned in a match-winning performance last week against Bolton. He’d be in direct competition with former Boro teammate Stuart Downing for a slot on the left – not the most daunting competition.

Theo Walcott - Really?  Sure, why not. First of all, the 21-year-old has been there before. Maybe he can’t cross. Maybe he can’t shoot. But with his blistering pace he can run the ball into the corner and waste a few precious seconds at the end of a match.

Theo Walcott in full flight ready to cross it into row Z