Walcott excitement at Asia trip

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott admits the pre-season jaunt to Asia could affect players but believes it is still an important trip.

The Gunners will move away from their typical pre-season routine this year by traipsing across the globe to take to part in friendlies in south-east Asia.
Arsene Wenger's side head to Asia on Sunday on a lucrative tour that will first see them head to Malaysia to face an All-Star XI, before heading west to face Hangzhou Greentown in China next Saturday.
However, the Gunners' jet setting does not stop there as they head to Germany to face Bundesliga outfit Cologne the following week after a brief trip back to north London.
It is a far cry from Wenger's typical pre-season routine of taking his players to Austria and Walcott thinks it is one that could take its toll on the players' body.
"In previous year we only went to Austria and Holland as well so it didn't take too much out of you," he told Arsenal.com.
"It will hit you at some stage but we have just got to get used to that.
"It is still a long way until the season starts so we should recover by the time that comes.
"I'm not really thinking about it to be fair. I am just looking forward to the challenge we've got and somewhere different that I've never been before.
"It will be a totally different experience and the culture is so different out there.
"I'm really looking forward to the amount of support that's out there.
"I've heard rumours that during our open training sessions there is going to be 50,000-plus there so that is just amazing.
"It is nice just to see these people that you might not ever meet again and if we can do something that will help the club as well as a brand it will make us grow and have a larger fanbase."
Following jaunts to the Far East and central Europe, Arsenal will host the annual Emirates Cup competition at the end of the month where they will face Boca Juniors and then New York Red Bulls.
Club legend Thierry Henry now plies his trade for the latter, which Walcott thinks will make it an extra special occasion.
Furthermore, the 22-year-old has intimated that the Frenchman may soon be joined in the Big Apple by fellow fan favourite Jens Lehmann.
"It is going to be an interesting battle I think and obviously we get to see Thierry come back as well," he said.
"I've heard a rumour that Jens might have joined them - I don't know if that's true - but again that is going to be great.
"It will just be great to play at the Emirates in front of the fans and hopefully show them what we can do and that we're ready for it.
"We won't treat it as a friendly - we don't really treat any pre-season game as a friendly to be honest - we like to go out there and win.
"And if we can win the Emirates Cup that will be great and then hopefully we can move on and try and win the league because that is the main one."