Gallas: Theo can be great
by Alex Livie, 23 October 2007
Arsenal captain William Gallas is convinced Theo Walcott has the potential to go to the very top of the tree.
Walcott has had major expectation on his shoulders since joining Arsenal for a fee which could rise to £12 million in 2006 and being included in England’s World Cup squad.
The fleet-footed forward struggled last term, but he has shown flashes of quality in the present campaign and his efforts against Bolton on Saturday earned praise from his manager Arsene Wenger.
Gallas feels that provided Walcott believes in his own ability, he can progress to the top bracket.
"Theo is a very good player,” said Gallas.
"Can he go to the top of the game? Yes. He's still young, he improves a lot, and what I like about him is that he likes to learn.
"I don't know if he knows how good he is. He makes mistakes but they are only small mistakes as he is young.
"He will be ready soon. It might take two months, it might be next year, but it will be soon."
The 18-year-old has been compared to Gunners legend Thierry Henry, but Gallas feels the pair have different styles.
"Theo is different to Thierry as he plays more on the flank, while Thierry was more of a striker. It's not the same," said Gallas.