Walcott credits selfish streak for Arsenal form
In-form Arsenal star Theo Walcott has discussed his sparkling performances this season and admitted: “Maybe it should have hit me a few years ago.”
Walcott has started the season in arguably the best form of his career, after netting three times in six Premier League games, while the player looks a shoe-in to start Wednesday’s Champions League group match against FC Basel at the Emirates.
Boss Arsene Wenger believes the winger’s displays so far this term back up the hunch he had that “we would see a different Theo Walcott” this season.
When asked what was different, the 27-year-old wideman said: “It’s all down to hard work.
“I’ve worked hard from the back end of last season and I’ve just continued to do that throughout the whole summer.
“I generally forget about the game that’s just happened and move on to the next one. I just want to be better than I was the day before.
“(The new mindset) probably came from myself. I found it difficult last year — coming towards the end of the season I didn’t get my opportunities but I was still working hard.
“I spoke to many people and it maybe woke up something in my system.
“I am completely different. I just want to be better and better. People have had so much faith in me and I tend to think I need to repay people.
“But I also think I need to do it for myself now. Maybe in the past I was thinking about others and not myself.”
Walcott insisted missing out on selection for England’s Euro 2016 squad this summer was not the turning point.
He said: “No, not at all. Me and the manager sat down and I’ve just looked at myself. There’s no point dwelling on the past — that’s what I’m like now.
“It all comes down to performances and I want this team to do well. You can see that in my desire and the way that I’m playing at the moment.
“I just want it more than anyone else. That’s just me and the way that I work now.
“It’s a shame.
“It maybe should have hit me a few years ago, but there has [now] been a slight change in my attitude ahead of the games.”