Should Stuart Pearce Pick Theo Walcott This Summer?

England Under-21 manager Stuart Pearce will pick his 22-man squad at the end of the month for the UEFA Under-21 Championships to be held in Sweden this summer. However, the question remains as to who Pearce should pick for the tournament, or indeed who he should even be allowed to pick as the old club-versus-country row rears its ugly head once more.

First of all, it’s important to clarify which players are actually eligible for the tournament. Despite it’s label as an Under-21 tournament players up to the age of 23 are able to take part in the final tournament this summer so long as they were 21 or under at the start of the qualification process (which began in late 2007).

Therefore, players like Aston Villa’s James Milner and Newcastle defender Steven Taylor are still eligible for the final tournament despite both already being 23.

Martin O’Neill has already spoken out about his belief that if James Milner and also Gabriel Agbonlahor are at risk of “burn-out” if selected to play in the summer, Agbonlahor in particular having started his season in mid-July in the Intertoto Cup.

O’Neill is believed to advocate granting the players up to two weeks rest after the end of the Premiership season before the Under-21 Championships start on June 15.

However, it would appear unlikely that Pearce would grant such a request at the risk of alienating and fragmenting any squad that he picks by allowing certain players extra time off.

Agbonlahor infamously missed the Under-21 finals two years ago despite being named in the squad by Pearce. The England coach was unable to contact the Aston Villa front man, who had allegedly already gone away on holiday, and was forced to change his plans and call up Everton’s James Vaughan in this place.

However, this time around England senior team manager Fabio Capello is said to be extremely keen for as many as his young players as possible to take part in the tournament, including all of those which he has already involved in his selections for the full national side, such as Theo Walcott.

Walcott’s club manager Arsene Wenger has already echoed O’Neill’s feelings about the player’s risk of burn-out, especially with Walcott the most likely of the players to be picked by both Pearce this summer and also by Capello next year if England secure their place in South Africa, leaving the player with only a few weeks break this summer.

Wenger claims that players in a situation such as Walcott should only be considered for one team, and in Walcott’s case should not be asked to drop back down to Under-21 level having effectively already established himself as a key member of the senior team set-up.

Other players on Pearce’s radar for a summer call up are the Tottenham pair of Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone and Manchester City’s defensive trio of Joe Hart, Micah Richards and Nedum Onouha.

Harry Redknapp is bound to give the media his opinion if Lennon receives the call and Mark Hughes was David Bentley’s club manager when the winger pulled out of the finals two years ago, although the decision was believed to be largely that of the player himself.

Do you agree with Wenger, should there be a clear distinction between full international and under-21 players?

Or are Pearce and perhaps more importantly Capello right to seek to include as many of their best players as possible—not only giving England the best possible chance of success going into the finals but also allowing young players key experience of performing in international tournaments?