Walcott wants England striking role

Arsenal star Theo Walcott dreams of playing up front for England and wants the chance to prove himself as the focal point.

The 23-year-old scored a stunning goal to give Arsenal a valuable point against Liverpool in a 2-2 draw on Wednesday, and took his tally to 18 goals in 29 appearances this campaign.

The former Southampton winger loves being able to bring other players into the game along the front line, but said he still has to learn how to hold the ball up effectively to be a top striker.

“It would be a dream to play up front for England, but, obviously, the manager makes the -decisions,” Walcott told talkSPORT.

“It’s an option for the manager, who has probably seen me play a few times for Arsenal up front now. It’s something different that we might not have had before, making runs in behind.

“I just love playing up front, you can wander around anywhere. Not just that, you can create more space for other players when you are quiet and go through patches in the game. Defenders are always wary of my pace and going in behind.”

Walcott already has seven more goals than he scored last season, having played 17 fewer games, underlining his more direct approach during the 2012/13 campaign.

And while he also has an impressive assists tally of 11 – already one better than last season – he said the next step in his development is to learn to shield the ball and keep possession up front.

“Now, I’ve just got to learn the other side of it as well, when it is not going too well,” Walcott said.

“I am not going to be the best guy to hold it up at times, but that is something I am practising in training. I always practice scoring goals and the next thing is to practice holding the ball up.”

Walcott also recently committed his future to the club with a new deal after speculation mounted he would move away from the Emirates Stadium in order to play in his preferred striking role.