Arsenal assistant coach Pat Rice believes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is capable of breaking into the England team this season after the former Southampton youngster impressed on his Champions League debut against Olympiakos last night.

Oxlade-Chamberlain completed his switch from the Championship side to Arsenal this summer and more than held his own against the Greek Champions, finding the net to become the youngest ever Englishman to score in Europen football’s leading club competition.

Having followed in the footsteps of fellow Southampton prodigy Theo Walcott who made a similar journey to North London in 2006, Rice has tipped the 18-year-old to push the England international for a starting sport for both club and country.

“He has a big, big challenge to now get in front of Theo. It all bodes well for England anyway.” He said.

“From Arsenal supporters’ point of view, they are going to be seeing a lot of this boy, I know that Theo is a very strong-willed guy as well and he won’t give in easy.

“Alex can go inside, he can go outside, he’s got that injection of pace and I think what he needs now is to be consistent in his play.

“I am sure that is something he will be working on because he’s certainly not a stupid boy.He has good people around him and they are telling him all the right things.

“Alex is very friendly with Theo and no doubt he will give him the benefit of his experience as well.” He added.

The son of former England International Mark Chamberlain, Oxlade-Chamberlain grabbed attention by making his debut for Southampton aged just 16, coming on as a substitute against Huddersfield in 2010 before scoring on his full debut later that year against Bournemouth in the Carling Cup.

Despite Oxlade-Chamberlain making an impression in the 2-1 victory over Olympiakos it was the Gunners defending that almost cost them dear once more, with a lapse at the back handing the Greek side a lifeline from 2-0 down.

Ariel Ibagaza was allowed to take his time and pick out team-mate David Fuster who found the net, and Rice admitted afterwards that his side should have done better.

“From a defender’s point of view it was a really poor goal to concede.” He commented.

“They [Olympiakos] battled very hard and had a lot of the ball. But in terms of what Wojciech Szczesny had to save he hasn’t had too much to do.

“Needless to say we will be very, very happy with the three points. The most important thing for us was to win, because it takes us closer to qualifying.”