Theo: I blame myself for World Cup snub
THEO WALCOTT doesn’t blame anyone else but himself for his World Cup omission – and insists England boss Fabio Capello has faith in him to succeed.
Walcott, 21, was surprisingly left out of Capello’s 23-man squad for South Africa in the summer, but has bounced back with four goals already for Arsenal this season.
Winger Walcott was handed a start in the friendly against Hungary last month and is now expected to be a key figure for England the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Now, on reflection, the former Southampton trainee says he has benefited from is time in exile and is fully focused for the qualifying campaign ahead.
“I didn’t point fingers at anyone, I just looked at myself,” Walcott said. “I didn’t want to blame anyone but myself and to make sure it didn’t happen again.
“I just wanted to work hard on the training pitch but I didn’t want to think about it too much.
“You want to give yourself a bit of a mental break.”
With his early-season form, Walcott is expected to start on the right for Friday night’s opener with Bulgaria at Wembley, but the Gunners starlet has learned not to take his place for granted.
“He [Capello] has got me back in the squad, and it shows he has faith in me,” he added.
“As a player you need to deal with the ups and downs. I had a very good pre-season, no injuries, and this season has gone well so far.
“I have just got to keep my feet on the ground and keep working hard. That’s all I can do.”