Graphic: Theo Walcott takes wing

Perhaps Sven-Göran Eriksson’s judgment was right after all. In the space of 56 astonishing minutes last night the shy teenager who admitted only two days ago to being starstruck when surprisingly taken to the 2006 World Cup finals blossomed into a young man capable of leading England’s challenge towards the next tournament in South Africa.

Walcott spent much of his time in Germany two years ago wandering around the team hotel with a camcorder, and must now get used to life on the other side of the lens, a life for which he seems well suited. Other than his obvious pace, his greatest talent appears to be composure, which he demonstrated when bearing down on goal in the 82nd minute. The 19-year-old took his time, transferred the ball to his weaker left foot before placing it carefully beyond Stipe Pletikosa in the Croatia goal to seal England’s first competitive hat-trick since Michael Owen shocked Germany 5-1 in Munich seven years ago.

Owen’s reaction as he watched the match at home in Durham last night would have been fascinating to observe. Walcott surpassed Wayne Rooney’s tournament debut at Euro 2004 to produce the most stunning international breakthrough since Owen’s brilliant solo goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup finals. In the manner of many modern sportsmen, Walcott is just as level-headed as Owen, announcing his intention to celebrate by playing Play-Station with his teammates during the flight back to London last night and expressing relief that his father, Don, was in the stadium to witness his moment of glory.

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I will retain the hope that Walcott will become a wonderful player, who will ignite England at the World Cup in South Africa

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BACKGROUND

• Walcott does the trick for England

• Walcott ready for life in spotlight

• Capello rewarded for throwing caution to wind

• How the England players rated in Zagreb

Related Links

• England pussycats showed hearts of lions

• Capello proves he's up to the job

• Theo Walcott, Michael Owen and Pele - when boys became men

Multimedia

• Graphic: Theo Walcott takes wing

“We’ll celebrate on the plane with a bit of PSP and then get home,” Walcott said. “My dad’s actually here tonight, which I’m so glad about. He would have died if he didn’t see it tonight. There won’t be anyone else in when I get home as my mum will be in bed. We’ll celebrate tomorrow.

“I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I know what people will be saying about me, but I will just ignore it and keep taking positives from the game. My family and friends have brought me up well, look after me and help keep my feet on the ground. That’s what I’ve always been like and I won’t change at all.”

Walcott’s resolution to shun the fame game will be sorely tested in the next few months, although it seems unlikely that his impressive workrate will alter. Last night Fabio Capello, the England manager, warned the player’s new adoring public to expect the odd dip in form, but it is a problem that Walcott has thought about, saying that, despite three clinical finishes, he must improve his shooting.

“I’ve got to take my chances,” he said. “I tend to cross when I get into those good situations, which I did when Frank [Lampard] played a great ball to me in the first half when I should have shot. At half-time Becks [David Beckham] said to me, ‘Be a bit more greedy and you’ll get goals,’ but at the end he said maybe I’d been a bit too greedy. He’s been absolutely brilliant to me, which is great.

“I’ve got the ball in my bag. I’m going to get the lads to sign it and my shirt and put it in a frame. I actually played with one less stud in my right boot in the second half as it basically fell to pieces and I didn’t have time to change. That’s why I finished the third goal with my left. I thought I’d taken too many touches on the last goal and it was a relief it went in.”

One thing Walcott will want to change is his standing at Arsenal, where, despite featuring in every match this season, he has been a largely peripheral figure since his £12 million move from Southampton 2½ years ago. Arsène Wenger, his club manager, will come under increasing pressure to play his prodigy on a regular basis, but Capello gave warning that he could still be erratic.

“I said after the Andorra game that he would play fantastic games, but he would not play the same level all the games,” the England manager said last night. “When he plays like this evening it’s fantastic. When he doesn’t play so well we have to support him. You have to remember he’s young.”

Like Owen before him, the nation’s latest boy wonder is in danger of being defined solely by his performances for England, although if he helps to take them to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa, few people will be complaining.