Gareth Southgate has revealed that Theo Walcott was not pleased when he called him to tell him he’d been left out of the England squad for the upcoming internationals.

With forwards in such short supply that 34 year old Jermaine Defoe has been recalled, the Arsenal man, with 17 goals to his name this season – 7 of those in his last 10 appearances – has surprisingly been left out.

Southgate says that the 28 year old was not best pleased when given the news.

“I’ve got to say he wasn’t chuffed to bits to get the call. And I understand that,” he said.

“Quite rightly, he said, ‘I’m one of the leading goal-scorers in the league.

“I don’t mind being challenged on that at all. I totally respect that.

“I don’t expect him to be happy. But I’ve got to make decisions and I think it was the right think to call him to talk that through, even though the timing probably wasn’t great.”

Walcott got the news on his 28th birthday, which really shouldn’t make any real difference. His anger is because of the fact he’s been left out, not when the news was broken.

Still, let’s hope it fires him up for the weekend and that West Brom are on the receiving end of some of that patented THEO WRATH.