The season may not have concluded in the manner he wished for, but Arsène Wenger is adamant that he still has cause for celebration. Arsenal have no trophies to show for their blistering football and lengthy tussle with Manchester United and Chelsea at the top of the table but, in the case of Theo Walcott, their battle scars may prove invaluable.

There have been moments since his transfer from Southampton for an initial £5million fee in 2006 when Walcott has resembled a wide-eyed innocent, not least when, in the same year, Sven-Göran Eriksson, the former England head coach, took him to the World Cup finals in Germany. His development has been patchy, but Walcott has scored seven goals this season and, at the age of 19, Wenger, the Arsenal manager, believes that he is “ready to fight for a regular place”.

Few would quibble with Fabio Capello's decision to include Walcott in his 31-man squad for the forthcoming friendly matches against the United States and Trinidad & Tobago. Two years ago, in the friendly game against Hungary at Old Trafford, he became the youngest England player to appear in a full international, but is still to add to his single senior cap, although he was an unused substitute in the friendly match with France in March.

“Theo is ready to be back in the England squad, although it's not for me to decide,” Wenger said. “I think Capello has him in his mind, but I don't want to put any unfair pressure on Capello to choose him. He is big enough and strong enough to choose him when he thinks he's ready. But I'm confident that Theo will take his chance. He scores goals in the Premier League.”

In the long term, Wenger regards Walcott primarily as a forward, but he intends to use him on the wings at the Emirates Stadium for another season to broaden his talent and experience. Walcott drew comparisons to Thierry Henry during Arsenal's Champions League match against Liverpool last month, when he set up Emmanuel Adebayor to score after a dashing run.

“The next stage for him is to be a guy who can produce performances regularly and with efficiency in every game,” Wenger said. “He makes a difference and I'm very hopeful. Theo is a decisive player, but sometimes he drifts in and out of games. When he is in a game, he is completely in and he makes a difference. In his mind he plays to be decisive all the time but, of course, when you play in midfield, you can't always be decisive. Sometimes you have to contribute in other ways, with defending or tackling.

“That's not what he likes the most and that's why I think in the future

he'll be more of a central striker, but, education-wise, it's fantastic for him to be playing in midfield first. He has to play for the team, he has to work, he has to run back, to close down and still keep his potential to go in behind defenders at the right moment.

“That's why I believe it's right for his education to be playing where he is. In the future I see him as a central striker, but next season I still see him on the flanks.”