Arsenal and England star Theo Walcott insists it is success on the pitch that matters.
Young star desperate for success on the pitch
Arsenal and England star Theo Walcott insists it is success on the pitch that matters - not the financial rewards off it.
The winger was thrust into the limelight when he was selected as an untried 17-year-old by then England boss Sven Goran Eriksson for the 2006 World Cup.
Three years on, the 20-year-old is determined to keep level headed and work hard to achieve success with both club and country.
He cites Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs as the perfect role model for how to conduct himself both on and off the pitch.
Walcott told
The Guardian: "My friends, family and girlfriend have all helped, but I'm a level-headed guy anyway.
"I haven't changed at all. People always think it's about money, money, money but I just want to win trophies.
Perfect example
"Ryan Giggs is the perfect example for me, the amount of medals he has won. You want to look back on your career and see what you've achieved, not just have a fancy car and a big house."
He added: "It's not so much that he's been at one club all his career, more that you don't see him on the front pages.
"It's the way he talks to people, the way he deals with the pressure every day. He is like an ambassador for his club."
Walcott says he is glad that he went to the 2006 World Cup, despite criticism of Eriksson's decision in some quarters.
"It doesn't bother me at all. I was only 17 and still developing so, yeah, I probably shouldn't have gone. Everyone has their own opinion but I was absolutely delighted," he said.
"You will have to ask Sven why. But now I feel it was the right decision. It's paid off because I feel like I've played well for England."
Toughened Gunners
Meanwhile, Walcott believes the young Arsenal side have now learned how to deal with the physical battle of the Premier League.
He said: "That's the thing we've learned. The way we've played so far, it's been great to see how we've coped with the physical battle.
"A lot of people think you just have to kick Arsenal and they will shy out of tackles. Other teams have tried that but this year I don't think it's going to work.
"We've had a couple of years to learn and we're there to cope with the physical battle now. I definitely feel more capable of standing up to it.
"A lot of players have come on. Alex Song, Denilson - they've really come out of their shells. [Thomas] Vermaelen looks a fantastic addition."
The Gunners have not won any trophies in four years but Walcott believes the players are using this to their advantage.
"Because it's been so long, I think it's actually brought us closer together. Four years is a long time without a trophy. But we'll be OK. We just have to get results to shut people up," he said.
