SPEEDSTER Theo Walcott says the competition for his place in the final England World Cup squad is bringing the best out of him.

The Arsenal winger is in a battle with Aaron Lennon, Adam Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips as coach Fabio Capello decides on his final 23-man squad for South Africa, which will be revealed next Tuesday.

And Walcott, who went to Germany 2006 as a shock member of the England squad but did not play, hopes that his performance against Mexico on Monday will help make Capello’s mind up.

He said: “People saw a different side of me, going forward and back. But it’s not just about me. There’s Aaron and Adam as well. It is great competition to have.

“It is a great thing having competition, especially in my position, because it gets the best out of you. Aaron, Shaun and Adam are among the best players in England.

“It is a headache for the manager, but a nice headache, because there are fantastic options.”

England start their World Cup campaign against the USA in Rustenburg on June 12.