Who is the best English forward currently?

Theo Walcott

Walcott has failed to live up to expectations

Caps: 47

Rating: 7.5/10

The second most-capped player on this list, Theo Walcott’s transformation from an up-and-coming, 17-year-old starlet ready to break into the England team to an experienced head has been a rapid one. For his club, he’s made a remarkable 255 appearances in which he’s scored 63 goals and he’s always been a viable and reliable option for Arsene Wenger up-front.

A speedster with the ball at his feet, there are more than enough positives to Theo’s game to warrant an England call-up. He’s notably quick, agile and experienced at the top level of the game and he’s proven that during his best run of form, he’s prolific in the final third.

That said, he’s also prone to dry spells and is not as adept on the flank as many may think. In the past, Walcott has been ruled out of big tournaments for the Three Lions as a result of injury or merely not being at an adequate level, and to date, his only appearance in a competitive tournament came at Euro 2012.

Two years prior to this, Walcott came under heavy criticism from Chris Waddle who announced, "I just don't think he's got a football brain and he's going to have problems. Let's be honest, good defenders would catch him offside every time.” It’s these underlying uncertainties that continue to prevent the Arsenal man from progressing from a good forward to a great one.