Be patient at Arsenal, Pennant tells Walcott

Jermaine Pennant, the last 16-year-old to arrive at Arsenal with a multimillion-pound price tag, has warned the £12m signing Theo Walcott that it will not be easy for him to break through at Highbury and urged him to be patient.

"I want to wish him all the best, but it's not going to be easy," said Pennant, now 23 and at Birmingham City. "Things didn't work out for me there, so it would be hard for me to say that it's the best place for him, but I'm sure the club will nurture him as much as possible.

"I don't know whether youngsters do get a chance at Arsenal, but we shall see what happens with Theo. It goes fast when you're 16. You're excited and just want to play. It's like a honeymoon period, but as soon as you know you're not playing you think: 'What have I done here? What's happening? Why am I not playing?'"