Baden-Baden, July 3 :

Billed as a hot new talent ready to make his mark on the world stage, Theo Walcott instead spent the World Cup twiddling his fingers on the England bench and sightseeing in Baden-Baden.

Sven-Goran Eriksson’s failure to use the 17-year-old despite his shock decision to include him in his squad suggests that Arsene Wenger’s insistence that Walcott was an old head

on young shoulders was off the mark. With the much-ridiculed Eriksson now out of a job, it remains to be seen whether new England boss Steve McClaren will show the same faith or revert to a tried and tested formula.

Reports in English newspapers suggest Walcott will remain part of the international set-up, but McClaren may prefer to first wait and see what he can do at the Premiership level where has yet to play.

Having signed for Arsenal from Southampton for £12 million in January, he has yet to start for the Gunners and has made only three appearances for the club’s reserve team.

Walcott, who was shielded from the media throughout England’s World Cup campaign, insists he will learn from his experiences in Germany, and has kept a video record of his month-long summer excursion.

“Im filming myself every day on my camcorder, how I’m feeling and how training has gone,” he told the FA website on Saturday in his first interview in an England shirt.