Long-time Arsenal and Premier League player retires! Theo Walcott hangs up his cleats

At the age of thirty-four, winger Theo Walcott leaves the football pitch. In his eighteen years in the Premier League he has been through Southampton, Arsenal and Everton. Fans most associate him with the Gunners jersey, in which he started matches for twelve years. In the national team, he still holds the privilege of being the youngest player ever to play for the England selection.

Club career

Walcott took his first steps in Southampton’s academy, where he also got his first taste of the spice of adult football. At the age of 16 he was already playing for Saints in Championship matches. Even then it was obvious that the talented winger had a bright future ahead of him.

In January 2006, Arsenal London came in with a transfer offer and the jury was out. Walcott was moving to the Premier League.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to all the managers and coaches I’ve worked with, especially Harry for giving me confidence early on and Arsen (Wenger) for giving me the confidence and support when I joined the club at just 16 years old,” he wrote on his Instagram account.

And there was already pressure on him at the start of his new engagement. After club legend Thierry Henry left for Barcelona, he took over the number 14 jersey. “To win the FA Cup and score in the final is a childhood dream come true,” he continued.

Arsenal beat Aston Villa 4-0 in the final of the world’s oldest cup competition in the 2014/15 season. Walcott opened the scoring in the 40th minute. He was followed by Alexis Sánchez, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud in stoppage time in the second half to make it 4-0.

But as time went on, Walcott was not getting as many chances as he would have liked. In 397 games for the club, he scored 107 goals, won the FA Cup three times and the Community Shield twice. In January 2018, he joined the Everton squad.

However, after the change of jersey, the game was not like before. Still, he was welcomed by the fans in a great way. “Goodison Park is a very special place for me and Everton will always have a place in my heart. I’ ll never forget how they welcomed me and my family,” Walcott says. And the story ended where it all began – at St Mary’s Stadium.

After returning to Southampton, he played in 50 league games, scoring five goals and assisting five more. However, in his final season with the Saints he was relegated to the Championship. As for the Premier League, he scored 80 goals and 56 assists in 397 games.

Representation

Walcott has also found his place in the England national team jersey. With the Albion team he participated in the World Cup 2006 and EURO 2012. At the age of 17, he became the youngest player ever to play for the England national team (a record he still holds) and at 19 he became the youngest ever hat-trick scorer.

“I have shared a place on the football pitch with many exceptional players and created many memorable experiences,” Walcott concluded.

Sources: Arsenal, Premier League, Twitter and Instagram – Theo Walcott