I tamed Theo - Wolves stopper

Theo Walcott is the talk and toast of England after his magnificent hat-trick destr-oyed Croatia.

But one Wolves defender can proudly claim to have tamed the Arsenal flier and forced him to be substituted – twice.

Lee Collins is a few weeks into a six-month loan at League Two Port Vale and is more used to Chesterfield than Croatia.

Yet the Telford-born 19-year-old can boast he once stopped England's brightest star in his tracks.

The occasion was the memorable 2005 FA Youth Cup semi-final, when Walcott was a rising star with Southampton's youth team and the pair came face to face in the two-legged tie.

Southampton beat Wolves on penalties, after the tie ended 3-3 on aggregate, before losing to Ipswich in the final.

Walcott was signalled out as the Saints' dangerman but he was snuffed out by Collins, who was then still at school.

Collins said: "I remember being in a technology lesson before the home leg thinking 'I've got to chase Theo around for 90 minutes later!'"

"For the first leg, the school (Thomas Telford) allowed me to have the day off to train and travel with the team. I remember we stopped off at a hotel on the way for a nap and a meal.

"I was buzzing, then John Perkins (assistant Academy director) pulled me aside and said 'you're going to be starting' then the lads said 'you're going to have to do a man-marking job on Theo Walcott'.

"I don't know why he picked me to do it – I'd only played the occasional game for the under-16s – but I'd come off the bench against Manchester City in the fourth round and maybe he thought I could do a job.

"I was nervous. I felt sick in the changing room beforehand, because I'd gone from playing the odd game at Compton Park on a Saturday morning to playing against Theo Walcott, at St Mary's and Molineux in front of 10,000.

"But I was happy to be playing, because I was only a schoolkid and once the game started, I was fine.

"In the first minute there was a ball over the top. I raced Theo and thought straight away 'this is going to be a long night'.

"He was really quick. They had two really fast players, because Nathan Dyer was being marked by Mark Little on the other wing.

"You could tell from the start Theo had lots of ability. He was a few months younger than me, but he's still easily the best player I've played against.

"It's definitely something to tell the grandkids! I knew Theo would be a Premier League player, but I didn't expect him to play for the full England team.

"He has loads of pace but his passing game is really good too. His ability to go past people and commit them is awesome.

"We didn't speak at all until we shook hands at the end of the game and he said 'well done'.

"In the second leg we chatted more. I remember being tired from chasing each other around and he went off for a drink.

"I thought I'd better follow him, just in case they took a quick free kick and he gave me a drink! That didn't surprise me because he's a really well-mannered kid.

"I remember in the second-half, he came towards me and I thought I could get to the ball so I lunged in, but he nicked it past me and I ended up taking him out on the touchline.

"I suppose I was just letting him know I was still there, but the referee wasn't so impressed and he booked me! Theo got taken off in both games. At least I could say I did a job on him.

"When he went off at Molineux I didn't know what to do, so I went over and asked John and he said 'follow him down the tunnel'! Afterwards, John told me I'd done really well and that did my confidence the world of good.

"I went into school next day and my legs were in pieces."

As well as Collins, Wayne Hennessey was in goal that night and despite the defeat, there were some rewards for the Wolves cubs.

Collins said: "Chris Cornes, Martin Riley and Mark Little all got contracts after that game which was good for them but I had to go back to school!"

"We lost the first leg 1-0 and we won the second 3-2 after extra-time after they scored in the last minute.

"We eventually went out on penalties – but we were the first team to beat them in 90 minutes that season."

Collins admits there's no way to stop Walcott, but admits to have had an education by facing him.

He said: "It's hard to say how to play him, because he's so unpredictable. There's no secret to how to play him because he's world class really.

"He's improved a lot since I played against him, but I'd just say 'get your distances right' because you can't do anything about his pace. If you take your eye off him, he's gone.

"In the first leg, he got away from me in the first couple of minutes and I thought I'd better get my act together.

"Playing against him helped me appreciate distances in terms of marking. I you get too close, they can be around you in a flash and if you stand too far off them, they will run at you.

"For me, knowing I'd done a job on him did me a world of good."

While their careers have gone in different directions, Collins has no regrets.

He said: "I haven't done as much as Theo but I've progressed steadily in my career. I won promotion at Hereford last season and I've had a few games for Port Vale.

"My main ambition is to play centre-back at Wolves but in the meantime, I've played right-back and left-back, which is where I'm playing for Port Vale."