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The young English football hopeful Theo Walcott said he was shocked to hear that national team coach Sven-Goran Eriksson had included him in the squad for the upcoming World Cup.
In the list of 23 players announced on Monday, the seventeen-year-old striker found himself there without even having made his debut for the London team he joined at the beginning of the year.
"I have played in front of a huge crowd before," said T. Walcott. "Of course, the World Cup will be different, but I think I will cope, as I will try my best.
"The day the squad was announced, my father called me and told me I was invited to the national team. At first, I didn't believe it and thought he was joking. I was shocked and very surprised. First, a club like Arsenal bought me, and now I am invited to the national team. It's just unbelievable. Most players never get the chance to go to the World Cup, but I was lucky. Becoming the youngest England national team player of all time will be a special event in my life," the player said.
Having previously been a player for the England youth (up to 17 years old) team, capable of playing in striker and attacking midfielder positions, he debuted for Southampton at the beginning of the season against Wolves and became the youngest player in the team's history. Although he was heavily pursued by Liverpool, Tottenham, Man Utd, and Chelsea, the player rejected offers from other clubs and chose Arsenal.
"This is not a dream, just simply unbelievable. Despite all that, I want to remain myself," T. Walcott concluded in an interview with Sky Sports.
