Walcott is one of four strikers in England's World Cup squad

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."

Older players give you a lot more encouragement Theo Walcott

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.