Theo Walcott has tipped Ryo Miyaichi to become an important player for Arsenal after watching the Japanese youngster perform well at Bolton.
Arsenal winger tips club-mate to become key player
Theo Walcott has tipped Ryo Miyaichi to become an important player for Arsenal after watching the Japanese youngster perform well during a loan spell with Bolton.
Miyaichi was allowed to link up with the Trotters in January on a deal until the end of the season and has taken his chance to shine by producing a series of eye-catching displays.
The 19-year-old has been at Bolton during a difficult period - he was on the pitch when Fabrice Muamba collapsed against Tottenham - and Walcott thinks his club-mate has coped well in the circumstances.
Walcott believes Miyaichi will be ready to push for a place in the Arsenal team next season and could develop into one of the league's most dangerous wingers.
No fear
"Ryo has done very well at Bolton," he told Arsenal's
official website.
"It is hard for such a young kid to go there and do what he is doing, showing no fear with everything that happened at Tottenham [with Muamba]. It is hard and it has probably hit him definitely.
"He will be a better person for it, a better player and I can see him coming back here next year and playing a lot more regularly.
"The way he is playing, there are full-backs out there now who are thinking, 'I don't want to play against him this week'."
