Theo Walcott Website Review
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Published: December 27, 2006
Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989 in Stanmore, London) is an English footballer who currently plays for Arsenal FC, having signed there from Southampton on 20 January 2006.
Walcott grew up in the small village of Compton near Newbury. His first 11 a side game came when he was staying at 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 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.
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, 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.
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. He was named by Britain's best-selling football magazine as, The Next Big Thing!
His performances soon attracted attention from the British media, who saw him as one of the most promising young English talents of his time.He signed for Arsenal on 20 January 2006 fora 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 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 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.
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.
Walcott's Champions League debut came 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 a record of two assists in two substitute appealcott made his first Arsenal start on 14 October 2006 in the home game 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, which he had just missed out on the year before.
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.
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 goals against Germany to seal qualification for England to the Under 21 European Championships, in the play off second leg on 10 October 2006.
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