THEO WALCOTT is determined to come out firing next season after his Euro 2016 snub.
And the Arsenal star has shown that former England boss Roy Hodgson was perhaps wrong to leave him out of the 23-man squad after revealing he’s in fighting form ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
Walcott was a surprise absence from the group which travelled to France, with Hodgson opting to pick no wingers at all despite opting for a 4-3-3 formation.
And England’s lack of pace in the final third was telling as they crashed out of the tournament to Iceland in the last-16, prompting Hodgson to resign in disgrace.
Walcott did suffer a calf injury in late 2015 but still managed to notch up 42 appearances in all competitions – his third-highest total in his professional career.
And the 27-year-old appears keen to prove his worth to Gunners boss Arsene Wenger after being linked with a shock move to Liverpool by posting a video of his latest fitness regime on Twitter.
Walcott can be seen doing a number of drills to improve his fitness and conditioning, mainly based around running and movement.
One exercise shows the former Southampton youngster jumping over mini-hurdles, while in another he is shown running with resistance.
But with Wenger reportedly in the market to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata ahead of title rivals Chelsea, Walcott may need to start focusing on other aspects of his game as the Gunners prepare for their pre-season tour in the US.
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And there could yet be more arrivals at the Emirates this summer following Wenger’s £30million capture of Borussia Monchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka.
Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan has been linked with a move to north London, while Wenger has been boosted by the news that Inter Milan ace Mauro Icardi has no release clause in his contract.
Gunners fans will also be pleased to learn that Arsenal are refusing to sell Alexis Sanchez to Juventus, with sporting director Giuseppe Marotta revealing the Serie A champs had recently seen a £34m bid rebuffed.
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