Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: I could have played professional cricket or rugby

Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has revealed that he could have been a professional cricketer or Rugby Union scrum-half.

The 18-year-old, who joined the Gunners in an £18m deal in August, had trials with Hampshire and was scouted by London Irish before he signed professional forms at Southampton.

"I was a bit of an all-rounder in cricket. I used to play district for south east Hampshire," he told The Telegraph. "I used to open the batting. I would wicket keep for 20 overs and then bowl for five or six overs. I got Hampshire trials as a wicketkeeper batsman but I couldn't go because of football.

"It was the same with rugby. The scout for London Irish enquired about me to my teacher. He told him there was no chance because I wanted to be a footballer.

"I was at a rugby school. I was a scrum-half or sometimes full-back and enjoyed it until everyone got bigger and it started to get more physical."

Oxlade-Chamberlain is yet to be capped as a full international, although Arsenal Wenger believes that he will go with England to Euro 2012.