British press hails boy wonder Walcott after Croatia rout

LONDON: The British press laid aside its sniping Thursday as it hailed England's 4-1 win over Croatia and crowned Theo Walcott the nation's new hero after the teenager's stunning hat-trick in Zagreb.

"England were a delight to behold, soon delivering the most expansive football seen since the thrashing of Germany in 2001. The David Beckham era is over, the Walcott era had begun," the Daily Telegraph enthused.

The Times described Arsenal attacker Walcott's hat-trick as the "most stunning international breakthrough since (Michael) Owen's brilliant solo goal against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup finals".