Walcott is one of four strikers in England's World Cup squad
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Teenage striker Theo Walcott insists he has a competitive streak that has helped his dramatic rise to prominance.
Despite his slight frame, the World Cup-bound 17-year-old insists he is always happy to battle for possession.
"Physically, I don't go for challenges that much, I'm not one of those sorts of players," he told the Guardian.
"But when I was being kicked by a Wolves right-back I went straight back at him. And I will always challenge for a header - I've got a good spring."
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Older players give you a lot more encouragement
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Walcott also revealed that his relaxed attitude around senior players during his early football development helped him settle into the demands of top-flight football at such an early age.
The Arsenal teenager become England's youngest ever player at 17 years, 75 days when Sven-Goran Eriksson threw him on came on as a second-half substitute against Hungary on Tuesday.
But just last summer he was just breaking into Southampton's first-team squad as a youth player before embarking on a pre-season tour to Scotland under then manager Harry Redknapp.
"We went to Scotland and I'd never taken part in first-team training," Walcott said.
"But I felt really comfortable in training. I came on for 45 minutes at Motherwell then 45 against Kilmarnock. Peter Crouch was playing and it was good to watch him.
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