Young England winger Theo Walcott was dramatically dropped from the World Cup squad yesterday, much to the disappointment of the marketing team at Marks & Spencer.

Walcott, 21, was one of the faces in a multi-million pound advertising campaign for the tournament, with most people assuming he had already booked his ticket to South Africa. He, along with Matthew Upson, Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey, is part of a series of ads where he dons Nike sportswear and Marks & Spencer designer suits.

Unfortunately, England manager Fabio Capello telephoned the Arsenal forward during a round of golf with the shock news that he was not part of the final 23-man travelling squad. Though included in the initial 30-man group, Walcott can consider himself unlucky to be one of the ‘sorry seven’ that missed the final cut. He was joined by Scott Parker, Tom Huddlestone, Darren Bent, Adam Johnson, Michael Dawson and Leighton Baines.

Marks & Spencer, one of the official sponsors for the English World Cup team, has designed the £120 grey suits which will not make an appearance in the Walcott wardrobe. Hopefully he did manage to land some gear from Nike, who actually made a TV campaign which shows Walcott playing in the finals. He had also had his face ‘carved’ by Nike onto a huge billboard in West London that echoes Mount Rushmore.

The England football team were today seen checking out their new off-the-pitch strip as the official World Cup suit was launched at Marks & Spencer. A far cry in price from the previous togs designed by Armani, the national side has opted for more modest attire for this summer’s trip to South Africa.

That said, our boys are still looking pretty sharp as the line up in the latest M&S ad campaign. Joining today’s team are 1966 heroes Roger Hunt, Gordon Banks, Martin Peters and Sir Geoff Hirst, who can all still certainly hold their own in front of the camera.

The grey three-piece, wool suit is designed by Savile Row’s Timothy Everest in collaboration with the high street brand. The team are pictured in jackets adorned with the England crest, although an in-store version without the crest will be available for purchase from today.

The M&S ad sees team members standing in groups of four above the tag-line ‘Four Lions, One Tailor’, while the suits of their older 1966 counterparts receive the branding ‘Four legends, One Label.’

England manager Fabio Capello also reportedly gave his specifications for the new tight-fitting players’ suit. In previous years, the England World Cup wears have been designed by British brands Paul Smith and Burton as well as Italian legend Giorgio Armani. The latter is close friends with former England Captain David Beckham and his label-loving wife Victoria.