Theo Walcott

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Personal information
Theo Walcott
Full name	Theodore Walcott
Date of birth	March 16, 1989 (age 17)
Place of birth	London, England
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.76 m)
Nickname	The Kid, The Newbury Express
Position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Arsenal
Number	32
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
2004-2006 2006-	Southampton Arsenal	21 (4) 5 (0)
National team**
2004-2005 2006 2006- 2006- 2006-	England U17 England U19 England U21 England B England	11 (5) 1 (1) 4 (4) 1 (0) 1 (0)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:38, 14 November 2006 (UTC). ** National team caps and goals correct as of 13:38, 14 November 2006 (UTC).

Theodore Walcott^[1] (born 16 March 1989 in Stanmore, London^[2]) is an English footballer who currently plays for Arsenal, having signed there from Southampton on 20 January 2006.

1 Biography
2 Personal life
3 Club career
4 Quotations
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Biography

[edit] Childhood

Walcott grew up in the small village of Compton near Newbury. His first 11 a side game came when he was staying round schoolfriend Adam Walkers' house and was asked if he could play for his team Steventon boy's as they were a player short. He then played for his local side AFC Newbury. His most memorable game there was in 2000, when Newbury's Under-11 side beat Down Grange Albion 4-2 in the Peter Houseman League Cup Final. Walcott also scored over 100 goals (including mini tournament) in his one and only season for Newbury, before leaving there for Swindon Town. He then left Swindon Town for Southampton.

[edit] Southampton

In the 2004-05 season, he starred in the Southampton youth side that reached the FA Youth Cup final against Ipswich Town. In addition, he became the youngest person to play in the Southampton reserve team, aged just 15 years and 175 days, when he came off the bench against Watford in September 2004. However, he did not play in the Premier League, as Southampton were relegated at the end of the 2004-05 season to the Championship. Despite having not yet played in the first team, at the age of 14, Nike agreed a sponsorship deal with Walcott^[3].

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 when he made his first team debut aged just 16 years and 143 days, 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 debut away to Leeds United on 18 October 2005, scoring his first senior goal in the same game. He continued his scoring spree four days later away at Millwall before scoring again on 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 Theo's massive potential was showcased in the 2006 MATCH Annual. The awesome attacking prospect was named by Britain's best-selling football magazine as, 'The Next Big Thing'!

[edit] 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 Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, as well interest from the likes Real Madrid, Juventus, Milan and Barcelona. After much tabloid speculation, and intense and protracted interest from Chelsea in particular, Walcott ultimately signed for Arsenal on 20 January 2006 for an initial fee of £5m, rising to a possible £12m^[4] based on appearances for club and country, making him the most expensive 16-year-old in the history of British football^[5].

On 7 February 2006, Walcott made his debut for Arsenal reserves in a game 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 28 February 2006 Walcott was included in the England Under-19 squad alongside Arsenal team mate Kerrea Gilbert to face Slovakia in a friendly at Sixfields Stadium. England won 3-0 on the night with Walcott scoring on his U19 international debut, with an 80th minute penalty kick. His original kick was saved, but the referee ordered the penalty to be retaken and Walcott scored on his second attempt.

On 16 March 2006, Walcott's 17th birthday, he finally signed a professional contract worth a reported £1 million a year, which lasts until summer 2008 and includes provisions to extend it^[6].

On 19 August 2006, Walcott made his Premier League debut on the first day of 2006-07 season. He came on as a substitute after 73 minutes against Aston Villa. He played a significant role in creating Gilberto Silva's equaliser in the 84th minute. Upon receiving the ball in the penalty area, he sent in a floating cross towards the far post. The ball skimmed Robin van Persie's head before falling onto the path of Gilberto Silva, who made no mistake and scored the equaliser.

Walcott made his Champions League debut in the second leg of Arsenal's third qualifying round match against Dinamo Zagreb and 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. During stoppage time, however, his cross beat the Dinamo defence and Mathieu Flamini scored, giving Walcott an enviable record of two assists in two substitute appearances.

Walcott made his first Arsenal start on 14 October 2006 in the home game against Watford, impressing many on his much-anticipated full debut.

Walcott has since made his second full start for Arsenal in the 2-0 Carling Cup win over West Brom, in which he is credited for one assist.

He came on the pitch in 67 th minute against Everton on 28th October 2006.

[edit] England national team

Walcott came on as a second half sub 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^[7].

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^[8], 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".

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 2 well-taken goals against Germany to seal qualification for England to the Under 21 European Championships, in the play off second leg on 10 October 2006. For his first goal, he received the ball from a long Leighton Baines pass after intelligently timing his run through the middle, before taking just two touches and curling the ball past the on rushing Michael Rensing and into the bottom corner. If his first goal was magical, the second was sublime. He 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 dazzling pace to leave the defender for dead, his pace took him past another defender as he cut inside and curled the ball beyond Michael Rensing and into the net, in a move more than vaguely remiscient of his Arsenal mentor and teammate, Thierry Henry.[1]

[edit] Personal life

He currently lives with his parents, Don and Lynn, and brother Ashley at a five-bedroom villa he has just bought near Arsenal’s training ground in Hertfordshire leaving his old house at Compton which will be occupied by his sister Hollie, his nephew Sebastian and niece Aurora.

He is currently dating Melanie Slade.

[edit] Club career

(correct as of 14 October 2006)

Club	Season	League			Cup^[9]		Europe		Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Southampton	2005-06	21	4	2	2	1	-	-	23	5
Arsenal	2005-06	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Arsenal	2006-07	3	-	-	-	-	2	0	5	0
Career totals									28	5

[edit] Quotations

"Theo's pace is extraordinary. I'd be surprised if he'd make a splash running on water. Tremendous prospect." —Harry Redknapp^{[citation needed]}

"I don't think the whole World Cup can rely on Theo Walcott but he can certainly come on and make a difference - and why not start him in a game or two? He is an interesting weapon because he can play wide and centrally. Then, once he is in front of the defender, nobody can catch him. He is a fantastic prospect."^[10] —Arsène Wenger

"For me, it is not so surprising England chose him. In training we all notice him because he is confident and very quick."^[11] —Gilberto Silva

"He is potentially brilliant, and he is going to be exciting, but potential is nothing unless you can produce it. I would think he's way, way, way, miles away from international World Cup football."^[12] -Bobby Robson

"I trained with the lad last season at Southampton for two or three weeks. In all the years I played there was never anything I saw on a training pitch that took my breath away, but he was doing things on the pitch that made me stand up and say 'Wow'. He could go on and make a better player than Wayne Rooney."^[13] -Matthew Le Tissier

[edit] References

^ Player Report - Theo Walcott (2006-10-14). Retrieved on 2006-10-14.
^ "Theo Lions On His Shirt", The Daily Mirror, 2006-05-09. Retrieved on 2006-05-22.
^ "Walcott spoilt for choice as Saints do their sums", The Guardian, 2006-01-10. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
^ "Walcott Goes", saintsfc.co.uk, 2006-01-20. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
^ "Arsenal complete Walcott transfer", BBC Sport, 2006-01-20. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
^ "Henry has nose for a good deal at Arsenal", The Times, 2006-03-17. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
^ "Walcott & Lennon in England squad", BBC Sport, 2006-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
^ "Eriksson defends Walcott choice", BBC Sport, 2006-07-02. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
^ Includes FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield
^ "Walcott could start for England: Wenger", AFP, 2006-05-11. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
^ "'This final is like our own World Cup'", The Guardian, 2006-05-16. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
^ "Robson sounds alarm bells over Eriksson gamble", Yahoo!, 2006-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
^ "Le Tissier: 'Don't doubt young Walcott, he can be better than Rooney'", Daily Mail, 2006-08-11. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.

[edit] External links

	England squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup Quarter-finalists
1 Robinson \| 2 Neville \| 3 A. Cole \| 4 Gerrard \| 5 Ferdinand \| 6 Terry \| 7 Beckham \| 8 Lampard \| 9 Rooney \| 10 Owen \| 11 J. Cole \| 12 Campbell \| 13 James \| 14 Bridge \| 15 Carragher \| 16 Hargreaves \| 17 Jenas \| 18 Carrick \| 19 Lennon \| 20 Downing \| 21 Crouch \| 22 Carson \| 23 Walcott \| Coach: Eriksson

Arsenal F.C. - Current Squad

Persondata
NAME	Walcott, Theodore
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH	16 March 1989
PLACE OF BIRTH	West London
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

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