Theo Walcott "honoured" to have played with John Terry

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has described playing alongside John Terry for England as "an honour" after the Chelsea skipper announced his international retirement.

Terry quit Three Lions duty on Sunday evening ahead of his FA hearing relating to the alleged racial abuse of Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

Walcott made his competitive England debut under Terry's captaincy in 2008 and has praised the 31-year-old's leadership skills, admitting that he will be missed in Roy Hodgson's dressing room.

"You've got to respect JT's decision and personally it's been a great honour to play with him. When I first got into the England set-up, he looked after me well," he told Sky Sports News.

"It's a shame obviously, but you've got to respect that. I've got some great moments playing with him. I've got a shirt that he's signed to me with a lovely message on it.

"A character like JT will always be missed anywhere.But like I say, we've just got to deal with it. JT is a strong character. He knows what he's doing."

Meanwhile, Walcott has hinted that he could leave Arsenal if manager Arsene Wenger does not select him in his preferred forward role.