Arsenal: Is 'Formula 1 Superstar' Theo Walcott the Next Thierry Henry?

Arsene Wenger is one of the best managers in the world, and he has been instrumental in transforming many raw young talents into dazzling world-class players. Wenger has shown a lot of belief in young talents, and has given them a lot of chances in order to realise their potential.

Thierry Henry’s development into a world-class striker can be attributed to the tactical brilliance of Arsene Wenger, who saw the potential in the French International at a very young age. Wenger was the manager of AS Monaco, when a young boy by the name of Thierry Henry was playing for the club’s youth academy.

Henry’s great pace made Wenger use the lad on the flanks, where he was effective in the Ligue 1. Wenger then moved to Arsenal, while Thierry Henry was signed by Juventus. However, Henry struggled to establish himself in Italy, where he played as a winger, and looked out of place in the Serie A. Wenger, who had seen Henry’s potential in his time at AS Monaco, was quick to acquire the services of Henry for the Gunners.

It was a brilliant decision by Wenger to utilize Henry as a centre forward, rather than a winger. Henry was himself not confident initially, and did not hit the net regularly in the first few matches. However, Wenger’s trust and Henry’s ability made him adjust to the role, and the rest, as they say, is history. His pace, skill and movement proved to be a nightmare for even the best of defenders, and the striker currently holds the record for being Arsenal’s highest goal scorer.

Forwarding to the present, there is this young lad, who has seen various ups and downs in his career, but is slowly, but surely, on the way to realising his immense potential. He has been applauded greatly for his talent, and also criticised immensely for the lack of it by the same media, who fail to give the youngster any room for error.

But that is not the case with Arsene Wenger, who has always believed that Theo Walcott will be a world-class player in the future. Walcott has exceptional speed like Henry, and under Wenger, he will only continue to develop. Walcott was selected to the World Cup in 2006 as a 17-year-old but failed to make the flight to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup.

Walcott has got the ability to be devastating on his day, but has been inconsistent in the past, and has been criticised for his lack of a “football brain.” He has played as a winger for most of his career, so far, but Wenger has indicated that the England International might be ready to play in the centre in the near future.

Theo Walcott has suffered numerous injuries and niggles, which has hampered his development, but Wenger attributes his injury problems to his extreme pace, which causes defenders to mis-time their tackles on some occasions. But his pace is his greatest asset, and if he is through on goal, there is hardly a defender in the world, who could catch up with him.

In the past, he looked rushed in front of goal, and has squandered some excellent opportunities. However, he has looked composed in front of goal, and a return of six goals in this season, despite missing six weeks of action due to an ankle injury, is testament to his composure. Walcott has shown great humility and a willingness to learn, and Wenger will help the youngster realise his immense potential.     

Walcott is not a great crosser of the ball, and maybe, he never will be. But his amazing pace, which has made Wenger liken him to a “Formula 1 Racer,” and his superbly timed runs can help him destroy defences on his own when he plays in a more central role. However, Walcott is an intelligent lad, and will know that he cannot be a great player, overnight, but if he does continue to work hard, it will pay him rich dividends in the future.

Thierry Henry is probably the greatest striker to have played for the Gunners and to emulate Henry will be extremely hard for Theo Walcott. However, Walcott has shown that he has immense potential and under Arsene Wenger, it is not hard to fathom Walcott growing into a world-class striker in the future.