Theo versus Raheem

Theo Walcott and Raheem Sterling go head-to-head to discuss their careers to date and future goals.

I've seen a lot of Raheem this season and I've been very impressed. Playing at such a young age there can be a lot of pressure, which I can empathise with, but he's handling it really well. The biggest thing is not to compare him to other people. To be honest, I think he's a totally different player to me. He's naturally very gifted at running with the ball and that's a beautiful thing to watch. Not many players in the world can dribble with the ball so comfortably. For me, what stands out is the fact he can play with such a high level of players at Liverpool at such a young age and more than hold his own. Already, he's starting to show he's got everything. Theo's a player I admire. He's someone whose game you can take things from. He's a player that someone like me can look up to because he's achieved so much at such an early age. When I was starting out and saw people like Theo breaking through and playing first team football, that's obviously something you can aspire to. You look at people like Theo and what they've achieved and think 'yeah, hopefully that's something I can emulate'. It's just a case of kicking on when you get your own chance. It's always tough when you first break through. You're going into a man's league but on the flip side you're playing with no fear. You can be rash at times, of course, and you don't always make the right decisions. The fact you're new, and people haven't played against you before, is exciting and difficult at the same time. I think the important thing when you have people behind you is that it creates a sense that you're ready. And that's a massive help. It's important to concentrate on the pitch though and not let things outside of it interfere. When you first train with the senior team it can be intimidating and you're careful of everything you say because you don't want to say the wrong thing in front of the lads. But after a while it becomes more natural and you can gradually find your feet. The first couple of days are hard but you soon get used to it and it becomes easier to get on with the other lads. Nowadays I just feel like I'm one of the team, which is a relief after you get over any initial nerves. When the other players in the dressing room see you every day in training and can see that you're good enough, you start to earn their trust. You're going to make bad decisions at times, nothing is going to be perfect, but all players have been through something similar themselves and appreciate it. The thing with Raheem is that he wants the ball; he's never afraid and even when he loses it he doesn't hide but wants it again. When you make a mistake you have to keep trying - especially in the position we play in. When you see Raheem doing it at such a young age it's frightening how good he could be in a few years. He'll only keep on improving. The