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Ray Wilkins urges Theo Walcott to leave Arsenal

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 09 May 2016

Former England international Ray Wilkins believes that Theo Walcott needs to leave Arsenal in order to fulfil his potential, but urges Jack Wilshere to stay at the club.

Former England international Ray Wilkins has urged Theo Walcott to leave Arsenal for the good of his own career.

The 27-year-old is now in his 10th season with the Gunners, but in only two of those has he made 20 or more Premier League starts having failed to establish himself as one of the club's key players.

Wilkins believes that Walcott has "underachieved" at the club since arriving from Southampton as a 16-year-old, but also stressed the importance of Jack Wilshere remaining at the Emirates Stadium.

"Jack Wilshere must stay at Arsenal, but I definitely think Theo has to move on. Theo has underachieved for the last couple of years and he is not getting any games for Arsenal at the moment," he told talkSPORT.

"He has got to play games to fulfil that potential he's always had, but to get games you've got to force the manager's hand, and I doesn't look like that's going to happen at Arsenal.

"But Jack, on the other hand, he has got to stay. Arsenal have got to get him fully fit and playing. I really want to see the Jack Wilshere we know and love, the Jack Wilshere who was crucial to England during qualification, playing at the Euros."

Walcott has made almost 350 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 85 goals.