This time last season, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was on the fringes at Arsenal, playing occasional matches in the League Cup and Champions League but many considered that the big time was too soon for the youngster.
12 months on and he has become one of England’s leading stars and looks to have solved a perennial midfield problem which has dogged the national setup for the past decade.
The left side of midfield has never had any consistency throughout the days of Sven-Goran Eriksson, Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello.
Joe Cole has shown his potential on occasion and his high was strong consistency in a side that massively underperformed at the 2006 World Cup.
Stewart Downing has never taken his opportunities and is struggling to even make Liverpool’s bench nowadays rather than the England squad.
Others like Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon and bizarrely Paul Scholes (at Euro 2004) have failed to settle in a crucial area of the field.
However, Oxlade-Chamberlain (pictured) has taken the extra responsibility on like a duck to water. Ever since his searing impact on the Arsenal team against Manchester United in the Premier League in January, he has not looked back.
Early promise
Oxlade-Chamberlain came through the same academy as both Walcott and Gareth Bale and produced some eye-catching performances in the Southampton first team that won promotion to the Championship in 2011.
As with Walcott six years earlier, Arsene Wenger spotted this promise and snapped him up in the summer of 2011.
Intent was shown instantly with two goals in his first three matches including becoming the youngest British scorer in Champions League history when netting against Olympiakos.
Having established himself as a regular fixture in the Under 21’s, the 19-year-old has been one of the bright sparks in 2012.
On 22 January 2012, Wenger handed him a full Premier League debut when Manchester United visited the Emirates.
In a match controlled largely by the visitors, ‘The Ox’ showed no signs of obvious pressure and assisted Robin van Persie with the equaliser.
When Wenger decided to replace him with 12 minutes to go for lazy Russian Andrey Arshavin, he was given massive stick by the home crowd.
United won the game 2-1, with Arshavin playing his part in giving away the winner. As Oxlade-Chamberlain sat on the bench wondering perhaps why he was subbed, a star had been well and truly born.
The rise continues
Oxlade-Chamberlain scored his first two Premier League goals in a home thumping of Blackburn Rovers in February and his incredible rate of progress continued.
AC Milan had a nightmare dealing with the youngster in the Champions League in March. Afterwards, the great Marco van Basten called Oxlade-Chamberlain a ‘gem.’
His performances were recognised by his fellow peers as he made the shortlist for the PFA Young Player of the Year, narrowly missing out on the prize to Tottenham right back Kyle Walker.
An international call into the senior setup was touted by many pundits. Some were concerned after the terrible decision to take and not use Walcott at the 2006 World Cup but Roy Hodgson has been brave enough to take a gamble.
It is a gamble that has paid off with huge dividends. You wonder whether Capello would have said he was ‘too young,’ had the unpopular Italian still been in charge.
‘The Ox’ was called into the squad for Euro 2012 and made his senior debut as a substitute in a friendly win against Norway in May.
He started the tournament too and played very well in England’s draw with France in Donetsk.
This season, he has become a regular fixture in the England setup.
The chance to make the position his own
Oxlade-Chamberlain ran rings around Moldova in England’s opening World Cup qualifier, offering a new alternative down the left side of midfield.
He can also play on the right side, although with Walcott, James Milner and the recalled Lennon around, this is something probably not required for his country.
He was on the periphery for the majority of the Ukraine game but showed some flashes of the spark that was evidently missing from the first Wembley home match of this qualification campaign.
He has had to be patient at Arsenal too and has only featured in four of the north Londoners seven Premier League matches so far.
Wenger is one of the best managers and mentors to have when it comes to young talent and I have no doubts that Oxlade-Chamberlain will become a major player in the Arsenal starting 11 in the near future.
He has bags of pace, creativity and can cross a ball into the danger zone, something Walcott has often been criticised for.
England has been crying out for a consistent left midfielder for a number of years now. ‘The Ox’ looks to have solved this perennial problem.
By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
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