Theo Walcott

Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989 in Stanmore, London) is an English people football (soccer)er of Jamaican descent who currently plays for Arsenal F.C., having signed there from Southampton F.C. on 20 January 2006.

Biography

Childhood

Walcott grew up in the small village of Compton, Berkshire near Newbury, Berkshire, where he played for A.F.C. Newbury. Walcott scored more than 100 goals (including a mini tournament) in his one and only season for Newbury, before leaving there for Swindon Town and later for Southampton. Nike, Inc. agreed to a sponsorship deal with Walcott when he was fourteen years old.

Southampton

In the 2004-05 in English football season, he starred in the Southampton youth side that reached the final of the FA Youth Cup Final Squads 2004/05: Ipswich Town v. Southampton (1-0, 2-2) against Ipswich Town F.C.. 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 F.C. in September 2004. However, he did not play in the Premier League, as Southampton were relegated to the Football League Championship at the end of the 2004-05 season.

Before the start of the 2005-06 in English football 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, after coming on as a substitute in Southampton's 0-0 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in the Football League Championship.

Walcott made his full first team début away to Leeds United A.F.C. on 18 October 2005, scoring his first senior goal in the same game. He scored again away at Millwall F.C. four days later, and yet again in his full home debut against Stoke City F.C. 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, Theo's massive potential was showcased in the 2005 MATCH Annual, where he was named 'The Next Big Thing'.

Arsenal

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 F.C., Chelsea F.C., Liverpool F.C., Manchester United F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C. as well as non-English clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus, A.C. Milan and F.C. Barcelona.

Walcott ultimately signed for Arsenal on 20 January 2006 for an initial fee of £5m, rising to a possible £12m based on appearances for club and country, making him the most expensive 16-year-old in the history of British football.

On 7 February 2006, Walcott made his debut for the Arsenal reserves against Portsmouth F.C. 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 Santiago Bernabéu Stadium 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.

On 19 August 2006, Walcott made his Premier League début on the first day of the 2006-07 in English football season. He came on as a substitute after 73 minutes against Aston Villa F.C. 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. 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 (football). 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 F.C..

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

Walcott scored his first goal for Arsenal in the Football League Cup Final 2007 against Chelsea F.C. at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on February 25 2007, becoming the second-youngest goalscorer in a League Cup final. 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 Red card (sports) following a mass brawl.

England national team

Walcott came on as a second half sub on 25 May 2006 for the England B national football team team against Belarus national football team. On 30 May 2006, he made history by becoming the England national football team records in a full international by appearing in England's friendly against Hungary national football team at Old Trafford (football), aged 17 years and 75 days. England won the match 3-1.

Walcott was a shock inclusion in Sven-Göran Eriksson's preliminary England national football team 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 in English football season), Andy Johnson (the top English goalscorer in the Premiership in the 2004-05 in English football season), Dean Ashton (like Bent, already an established player at England national under-21 football team level) and England squad regular Jermain Defoe.

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, 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 praise Eriksson for his willingness to "try something new". Walcott did not however play a single minute throughout England's time at the tournament, although given that Sven regarded Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard as makeshift strikers Walcott can be regarded as England's sixth-choice striker.

On 15 August 2006 Walcott became the youngest player ever to score for the England national under-21 football team when he scored the opener after three minutes in England national under-21 football team's 2-2 draw with Moldova at Ipswich Town F.C.'s ground Portman Road. The game against Moldova was his first cap for the England national under-21 football team. 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 national under-21 football team 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.

Personal life

He currently lives with his parents, Don and Lynn, at a five-bedroom villa near Arsenal’s training ground in Hertfordshire leaving his old house at Compton, near Newbury, which will be occupied by his sister Hollie, his nephew Sebastian and niece Aurora. His family made a cameo appearance in the 2007 in film film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film). Theo himself was due to appear as well, but his commitments to Arsenal forced him to draw out.

Walcott and his father are both Liverpool F.C. 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!"

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

Club career statistics

Honours

AFC Newbury
- Under-11 Peter Houseman League Cup: Winner

Southampton
- FA Youth Cup: Runners-up (2004-05)
- Youngest ever player to play in the Southampton Reserve side (aged 15 years and 175 days)(2003-04)
- Youngest ever player to play for the Southampton first team (16 years and 143 days) (2005-06)

Arsenal
- League Cup: Runners-up (2006-07)

Personal
- Named amongst the top three finalists in the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year Award