Theo Walcott delighted 15yo Okoduwa was named in Wolves matchday squad against Arsenal 

Gunners legend Theo Walcott was delighted to see Wesley Okoduwa named in Wolverhampton Wanderers' gameday squad for their Premier League match against Arsenal at the Molineux Stadium on Saturday evening.

Aged 15 years and 344 days on April 20, the England U16 international, son of former Super Eagles striker Emmanuel Okoduwa, would have become the youngest player to represent Wolves in the Premier League if he had played. 

An injury-plagued squad forced Wolves manager Gary O'Neil to include five teenagers in the matchday squad, among them defensive-minded players Okoduwa and Temple Ojinnaka, who are both eligible to represent Nigeria.

Walcott, at the age of 17, was a surprise inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson's England squad for the 2006 World Cup, and holds the record of being the youngest player ever to represent the country.

He broke into the Southampton first team at the age of 16 before joining Arsenal on scholarship terms in January 2006.

Reacting to Okoduwa making the bench against Arsenal, Walcott said on Sky Sports: "Wolves of course they are in a very good position, still can get closest to eighth, they can. 

"I think Gary O'Neil's done a fantastic job but I'm looking at this 15-year-old (Okoduwa) today. It's going to be very interesting.

"He's very well excited. I'm just looking at my experience when I just came through the scene. Fearless, just enjoy the day."

Wolverhampton Wanderers have a fight on their hands to keep hold of Okoduwa, with the right-back's schoolboy registration expiring on June 30, 2024.

Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring the situation of the Anglo-Nigerian defender ahead of next season.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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