What did you make of Arsene Wenger's reaction to Theo Walcott's impact?

Sir Alex Ferguson, in similar circumstances when a player, particularly a teenage player, went stratospheric overnight, would almost refuse to talk about him, and basically tell us to shove off.

Arsene Wenger has been quite open about this. While on the one hand he doesn't want expectations to go through the roof, equally he says we want him to do well. His philosophy is that if he does well for England then that brings expectations and now he has to prove he is strong enough to withstand those and that's all part of becoming a great player.

It's typical Wenger in that he's protective but realistic, and crucially he trusts that Walcott is made of the right stuff that he won't get carried away. He's got good people around him, good advisors, good family and I think my favourite quote from Wenger was that he was more impressed with his post-match interview than he was with his hat-trick.

Do you think anything will change for Walcott at Arsenal?

Again if Wenger wasn't totally dampening it down it's because if it gives Walcott a bit of a strut and a stagger that's not something they will discourage. If he has a fault, it's that he is too well mannered and too polite and if he starts grabbing the ball and strutting his stuff then within reason, the coaches will say that's no bad thing.

Wenger spoke about his versatility, so do you see his role changing in the coming years?

It's tricky, he's of that Owen-esque size and the way England are playing with Heskey battering space for others behind him, I can't see that in the immediate future.

I think Wenger certainly sees him on the wing for the next couple of years and then turning into an Henry style player, maybe five years from now. So for now it's very much the wing for Theo Walcott for club and country and I think both have better use for him there.

Do you feel Walcott's fearlessness spread through the team last night and do you think that's why Capello picked him?

Capello does have a reputation for being dull and pragmatic but I think he just realised that a ponderous team was going to get pinned back.

So his selection was partly tactical, in that he wanted one whippet to trouble them and partly physiological, in that if he's sticking in a young kid who is on a roll then it does excite the other players and clearly his decision came off well, in both regards.