Arsenal legend (Lan Wright) Urges Walcott To Weather ‘rough’ Patch

Arsenal legend Ian Wright urged
England international Theo Walcott not to quit
the club on Tuesday despite a "rough" patch
and speculation over his future.
Wright, speaking ahead of the Barclays Asia
Trophy in Singapore, said Walcott, 26, needed
to work hard and regain his place after a
season plagued by injury.
The former teenage star, whose contract
expires next year, is feeling his way back to
form and manager Arsene Wenger says he
hopes he will blossom into a centre-forward.
However, he was ineffective from the bench as
Arsenal lost 1-0 to Swansea on Tuesday, a
defeat which undermined their push for next
year's Champions League.
"As a professional he's just got to wait his
time... and push himself to make sure he starts
in the first team for the start of next season,"
Wright told reporters.
"That is what you're meant to do as a
professional, you're not meant to, as soon as
the going gets rough, you go to the exit, and
that's not what Theo wants to do," he added.
Wenger has backed Walcott to make the switch
from wing to striker, following in the footsteps
of Arsenal's record scorer Thierry Henry.
Talks for Walcott's new contract are under way
at the end of a Premier League season in which
he has made just three starts after returning
from a serious knee injury.
But Wright, who scored 185 goals for the
Gunners, said: "We need people like Theo in the
team, we need him in the squad, and so
hopefully he'll finish the season well.
"Fingers crossed we'll win the FA cup and finish
as high as we can. Theo will have a great pre-
season, start the season well and this will all be
forgotten."
Wright added that he was "tired" about the
debate over Wenger's position at the club as
Arsenal head for an 11th season without
winning the Premier League.
But he said Arsenal, who play Aston Villa in the
FA Cup final on May 30, need to strengthen
with a new goalkeeper and defender in the July
transfer window.
"He (Wenger)'s got another two to three years
left (on his contract) and he is now in the
position where he has got the financial clout to
go into the market and buy the same players
any of the top teams will try to buy," said
Wright.
Arsenal are one of three Premier League teams
playing at the Barclays Asia Trophy in
Singapore on July 15 and 18, along with
Everton and Stoke City, plus a Singapore XI.