Anderton praises Walcott display

Anderton is backing Theo Walcott to keep his England place

Bournemouth captain Darren Anderton has said he thinks Theo Walcott will become an England regular following his hat-trick against Croatia.

Anderton, 36, made his name as a right winger at Portsmouth and Spurs making 30 appearances for his country.

And he told BBC Radio Solent: "He's got the pace that we all knew he had. I think his three finishes showed exactly what quality he's got.

"For Theo to do that in only his second start shows he can only get better."

Anderton, who earned his last five caps under five different managers between 1998 and 2001, added that Walcott's international future was in his own hands.

"With that performance there's no doubt he'll play the next game as well and it's up to him to keep the shirt now," he said.