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Theo Walcott

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Theo Walcott
Personal information
Full name Theo James Walcott
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker / Winger
Team information
Current team
 Arsenal
Number 14
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 02:05, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989 in Stanmore, Londonis an English footballer who currently plays for Arsenal as a Striker / Winger.

Southampton

In the 2004–05 season, he starred in the Southampton youth side that reached the final of the FA Youth Cup against Ipswich Town. In addition, he became the youngest person to play in the Southampton reserve team at 15 years and 175 days, when he came off the bench against Watford in September 2004.[1] However, he did not play in the Premier League, as Southampton were relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2004–05 season.[2]

Before the start of the 2005–06 season, Walcott linked up with the first team's tour of Scotland, just two weeks after leaving school. The striker then went on to become the youngest-ever player to play for the Southampton first team at 16 years and 143 days and also the youngest player to , after coming on as a substitute in Southampton's 0–0 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Football League Championship.

Walcott made his full first team début away to Leeds United on 18 October 2005, scoring his first senior goal in the same game. He scored again away at Millwall four days later, and yet again in his full home debut against Stoke City the following Saturday. His rapid rise to fame also led him to be named amongst the top three finalists for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality award on 11 December 2005.

Before breaking into the Southampton first team, Walcott's massive potential was showcased in the 2005 MATCH Annual. His performances soon attracted attention from the British media, who saw him as one of the most promising young English talents of his time. There was speculation that Walcott would move to the Premiership and media reports linked him with some of the league's top clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur as well as non-English clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, A.C. Milan and Barcelona.

Arsenal

Walcott ultimately signed for Arsenal on 20 January 2006 for an initial fee of £5m, rising to a possible £12m[3] based on appearances for club and country, making him the most expensive 16 year old in the history of British football.[4] In April 2008, financial pressures forced Southampton to accept an early settlement which means that Walcott will actually have cost Arsenal around £9.1 million. The new deal is understood to involve an immediate payment to Southampton of £1.6 million followed by a further £500,000 later this year added to the £7 million that Arsenal already paid to date.[5][6]

On 7 February 2006, Walcott made his debut for the Arsenal reserves against Portsmouth reserves at Havant; he scored, but Arsenal lost 3–2. Walcott was then named in an 18-man squad to face Real Madrid in a UEFA Champions League second round first-leg tie at the Bernabéu on 21 February 2006.

On 16 March 2006 – his 17th birthday – Walcott signed a professional contract worth a reported £1 million a year, which lasts until summer 2008 and includes provisions to extend it.[7]

On 19 August 2006, Walcott made his Premier League début as an Arsenal player on the first day of the 2006–07 season. He came on as a substitute after 73 minutes against Aston Villa and supplied the cross from which Gilberto Silva volleyed in the equaliser.

Walcott's Champions League début came in the second leg of Arsenal's third qualifying round match against Dinamo Zagreb, where he became the youngest ever Arsenal player to appear in European competition, a record previously held by Cesc Fàbregas.[citation needed] Within minutes of coming on he received his first yellow card in Arsenal colours for taking a shot several seconds after the referee had already blown for offside. During stoppage time, however, his cross beat the Dinamo defence and Mathieu Flamini scored, giving Walcott a record of two assists in two substitute appearances. Walcott made his first start for Arsenal on 14 October 2006 at home against Watford.

Walcott's exploits with Arsenal and with the England team earned him the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2006.[8]

Walcott taking a corner.

Walcott scored his first goal for Arsenal in the Carling Cup Final against Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 25 February 2007, becoming the second-youngest goalscorer in a League Cup final.[citation needed] His eleventh minute strike was overshadowed by events later on in the match as Didier Drogba scored twice to give Chelsea a 2–1 victory and three players were dismissed following a mass brawl.[9]

On 23 October 2007, Walcott scored his first goals at the Emirates Stadium in a Champions League match against Slavia Prague, which Arsenal won 7–0, as well as setting up a goal for Cesc Fàbregas. His second goal came from a fast run up the left wing which drew comparisons from television pundits with former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry.[10] On 9 January 2008, he scored another goal in a Carling Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur, it was a 79th minute equaliser, but Tottenham Hotspur went on to win 6–2 on aggregate. Walcott scored his first Premiership goal in a match against Birmingham City at St.Andrews on 23 February 2008 when he scored both Arsenal goals in a 2–2 draw but the game was overshadowed by his Arsenal teammate Eduardo who was on the receiving end of a nasty tackle in which resulted in a broken left fibula and open dislocation of his left ankle .[11]

On 8 April 2008, during the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool, Walcott made an incredible impact by coming on as a substitute. 10 minutes after coming on, he controlled the ball from a missed half volley by the Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard on the edge of his own penalty box and he then embarked on a 80-metre run, going past four Liverpool players in the process and playing the ball back to Emmanuel Adebayor to score the equalizer. Again this drew comparisons to former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry. Despite Walcott's efforts, Arsenal went on to lose the game with a scoreline of 4–2, thus eliminating Arsenal from the Champions League.

On 11 May 2008, Walcott scored the winning goal in the final game of the season against Sunderland, taking his Premier League total to 4 goals for the season. Walcott finished the 2007–08 season with seven goals from all competitions.

On 28 June 2008, it was announced on Arsenal's official website that Walcott would be given the number 14 shirt (having worn the number 32 since his arrival), last worn by Thierry Henry.[12]

International career

Walcott came on as a second half substitute on 25 May 2006 for the England B team against Belarus. On 30 May 2006, he made history by becoming the youngest ever England player in a full international by appearing in England's friendly against Hungary at Old Trafford, aged 17 years and 75 days. England won the match 3–1.

Walcott was a shock inclusion in Sven-Göran Eriksson's preliminary England squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup when it was announced on 8 May 2006. Even with first-choice strikers Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen both recovering from injury, Walcott was selected over established Premiership strikers such as Darren Bent (the top English goalscorer in the Premiership in the 2005–06 season), Andy Johnson (the top English goalscorer in the Premiership in the 2004–05 season), Dean Ashton (like Bent, already an established player at England U21 level) and England squad regular Jermain Defoe.[13]

Despite being one of only two fully fit strikers in the England squad, he did not play during the tournament. Eriksson has since defended his decision,[14] claiming that the experience has served him well for future tournaments. However, Eriksson's decision to include Walcott in the preliminary squad was made despite never having seen him play a professional match, and the decision was generally regarded as the most unexpected in what was seen as a surprisingly uncharacteristic set of selections. It received mixed reactions, some regarding it as an unnecessary risk when England had more established strikers, while others praised Eriksson for his willingness to "try something new". Walcott did not however play a single minute throughout England's time at the tournament.

On 15 August 2006 Walcott became the youngest player ever to score for the England under 21s when he scored the opener after three minutes in England's 2–2 draw with Moldova at Ipswich Town's ground Portman Road. The game against Moldova was his first cap for the England under 21s. His impressive form for the under 21 team continued in a 3–2 win against the highly rated Swiss.

Walcott scored two goals against Germany to seal qualification for England to the Under-21 European Championships, in the playoff second leg on 10 October 2006. For his first goal, he received the ball from a long Leighton Baines pass before taking just two touches and curling the ball past the onrushing Michael Rensing and into the bottom corner. He later received another pass from Leighton Baines close to the left touch-line just inside his own half, he jinked the ball just beyond a defender who was attempting to close him down before using his pace to get past two defenders before cutting inside and curling the ball beyond Michael Rensing and into the net, in a move reminiscent of Thierry Henry.[15] He scored his fifth U21 goal against the Republic of Ireland on 5 February 2008.

He made his second appearance for England in a friendly against Trinidad & Tobago on 1 June, 2008 when he came on as a 69th minute substitute.[16]

Personal life

Walcott warming up.

Walcott grew up in the small village of Compton near Newbury, where he played for AFC Newbury and went to the secondary school The Downs School . Walcott scored more than 100 goals[17] in his one and only season for Newbury, before leaving there for Swindon Town and later for Southampton. Nike agreed to a sponsorship deal with Walcott when he was fourteen years old.[18]

His family made a cameo appearance in the 2007 film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Theo himself was due to appear as well, but his commitments to Arsenal forced him to drop out.[19]

Walcott and his father are both Liverpool FC fans. Walcott has never hidden the fact that he's a massive Liverpool supporter and even when Chelsea laid out the red carpet for him as a youngster, he used the opportunity to meet his real idols: "I was playing in a tournament for Swindon when Southampton and Chelsea showed an interest," recalls Walcott. "Chelsea invited me to be a ball-boy for a game against Liverpool and it was fantastic to meet my heroes Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler."

"I was a Liverpool fan simply because my dad followed them. Unfortunately I wasn't born when the team had their golden era, but I enjoyed watching the likes of Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman when I was growing up. When Liverpool won the Champions League last year, I went mad. I was shouting so loud I think I woke up the entire village where I live!"[20]

Walcott has been involved with the UK Charity Build a school.[21]

On 6 April 2008, Walcott was a torchbearer for the Olympic flame as it was paraded around London. He was the second last torchbearer just before Dame Kelly Holmes.

Club career statistics

(correct as of 11 May 2008)
Club Season League Cup[22] Europe Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Southampton 2005–06 21 4 1 2 1 1 - - - 23 5 2
Total 21 4 1 2 1 1 - - - 23 5 2
Arsenal
2006–07 16 0 3 10 1 2 6 0 2 32 1 7
2007–08 25 4 2 5 1 0 9 2 3 38 7 5
Total 41 4 5 15 2 2 14 2 4 70 8 12
Career totals 62 8 6 17 3 3 15 2 4 93 13 14

Honours

Southampton
Arsenal

Individual

  • BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award (2006)

References

  1. ^ "Record Breaker!". saintsfc.co.uk. 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2006-12-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Walcott spoilt for choice as Saints do their sums". The Guardian. 2006-01-10. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Walcott Goes". saintsfc.co.uk. 2006-01-20. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Arsenal complete Walcott transfer". BBC Sport. 2006-01-20. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Southampton lose £2.9m over Theo Walcott". Telegraph. 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2008-04-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Saints Financial Forecast". saintsfc.co.uk. 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Henry has nose for a good deal at Arsenal". The Times. 2006-03-17. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Walcott wins Young Sports award". CBBC Newsround. 2006-12-10. Retrieved 2006-12-10. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ "Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 2007-02-25. Retrieved 2007-02-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Prague". BBC. 2007-10-03. Retrieved 2008-03-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (23 February 2008). "Birmingham 2-2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2008-02-24. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Walcott to wear No [[14]] from 2008/09 [[Season]]". Arsenal Official Website. 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-06-27. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  13. ^ "Walcott & Lennon in England squad". BBC Sport. 2006-05-08. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Eriksson defends Walcott choice". BBC Sport. 2006-07-02. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Wizardry of Walcott puts Germany under a spell". The Times. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2006-12-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Trinidad & Tobago 0 England 3: England comfortable on their Caribbean cruise". The Independent. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2008-06-02. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Theo Lions On His Shirt". The Daily Mirror. 2006-05-09. Retrieved 2006-05-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ "Walcott spoilt for choice as Saints do their sums". The Guardian. 2006-01-10. Retrieved 2006-07-07. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Football Shorts: Theo misses out on Harry Potter film". The Times. 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  20. ^ "Theo Walcott: Why I'm a Liverpool fan". Liverpool FC Official Website. 2006-06-20. Retrieved 2007-08-31. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ Harrow Times
  22. ^ Includes FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield
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