Walcott not ready to replace Beckham yet, says ex-England coach
Former England coach John Gorman has questioned whether Theo Walcott is ready to keep David Beckham out of the national side for good.
Walcott scored a stunning hat-trick in England's 4-1 demolition of Croatia, and his outstanding performance led to calls for him to replace Beckham down the right flank.
But Gorman, who spent three years as England assistant manager under Glenn Hoddle during the 1990s, said: "I'm not so sure if he has what it takes to be a regular for England yet.
"He needs to be nurtured. Fabio Capello knows exactly what he needs to do."
Gorman believes Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is the best man for keeping Walcott's feet firmly on the ground.
On the eve of the publication of his autobiography, 'Gory Tales', Gorman added: "Walcott is smashing young kid and he has a great future ahead of him, I'm sure.
"A couple of years ago people were doubting him but now all of a sudden he's the best thing since sliced bread but that's football.
"Everyone will just have to not go overboard with all the hype, but (Arsene) Wenger will look after him. He's a clever man, he knows how to handle his players and that's why he's done so well in club management.
"All the hype is understandable but there is always a tendency to over-hype players and go hard on them when they perform badly. He's still quite a young boy but he certainly looks as if he's on the right road now."
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