Sunderland winger Adam Johnson has admitted that he intends to capitalise on Theo Walcott’s recent knee injury by replacing the Arsenal forward in the England World Cup squad.
Walcott is expected to miss out on a second successive World Cup after suffering knee ligament damage in Arsenal’s recent FA cup win over Tottenham.
And Johnson - who has been capped 11 times by England - is hoping to profit from the Arsenal man's harsh luck.
Speaking after scoring a hat-trick in his side’s 4 – 1 victory over Fulham, the former Manchester City man said: “I was disappointed for Theo, he’s a good friend of mine. I came a long way in the England ranks with him, I was gutted for him when I found out he was going to miss the World Cup.
“But these things happen in football and one man’s downfall is another man’s gain. So if I can be the person that’s gaining then I’ll be delighted.”
He added: “I want to get back to being a part of the squad, if I can keep playing well you never know about the World Cup.”
