Former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has now reflected honestly on his career at the Emirates Stadium.
Theo Walcott made headlines upon his arrival in North London.
Signed by then-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger from Southampton in the January of 2006, he joined the Gunners as a teenager, having generated plenty of excitement about his talent whilst with the Saints.
Before he even kicked a ball for Arsenal, though, the limelight on Walcott grew much brighter, as he was called up to represent England at the 2006 World Cup, whilst still just 17-years-old. The attacker did not feature for the Three Lions in the tournament, but became a household name, and went on to amass 47 caps in his international career.
Theo Walcott discusses his Arsenal peak
Walcott ultimately spent more than a decade at Arsenal, racking up 397 appearances and scoring 108 goals. He also won two FA Cups with Gunners.
In the winter of 2018, he joined Everton, before ultimately bringing his career full circle by returning to Southampton, before hanging up his boots in the summer of 2023.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football (25/11/2024), Walcott has now reflected upon the high point of his Arsenal career.
He said: “I would say probably from 2010 to before I did my big serious knee injury in 2014. I would say probably from that moment was when I felt was in my element.”
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher responded: “That’s a remarkable achievement that, you think Arsenal, one of the great football clubs, to score over 100 goals for a club of that stature is a special achievement.”
Walcott remains supportive of Arsenal, and clearly holds a deep affinity with the club.
Did Walcott live up to his potential at Arsenal?
Walcott’s inclusion in the 2006 World Cup squad stoked a tremendous amount of excitement about his future potential, as to be taken to a major international tournament whilst still so young is highly unusual.
However, this experience, in hindsight, created unrealistic expectations surrounding Walcott. He went on to have an excellent career that he can be highly proud of though, and Carragher is correct to credit his achievement of having scored more a than a century of goals for the Gunners as something to be lauded.
Walcott has now praised Mikel Arteta, who he played alongside at Arsenal. Whilst the Spaniard of course pursued coaching in his post-playing career, Walcott has made a successful transition into the media following his retirement.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
