The former attacking player for the Gunners has a distinctive viewpoint concerning the opportunity to play in the first team at a young age, considering his transfer to Arsenal from Southampton occurred when he was 16 years old.
Walcott was included in the England national team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, shortly after his move to Highbury. Reflecting on that time, he feels that everything happened to him all at once.
Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo before his duties as a commentator on Amazon Prime Video’s broadcast of the UEFA Champions League this week, Walcott expresses that the current group of young players emerging at the Emirates Stadium is ‘promising’.
Theo Walcott: ‘It’s important not to give them everything too soon’
“My perspective is quite distinct, mainly because when I joined the club, I found it hard to connect with the other players due to the difference in our ages. Now, observing Max [Dowman] as he progresses, and seeing Ethan [Nwaneri], who is just a few years older, or even Myles [Lewis-Skelly], I see they [can] all relate to each other. They’re probably doing similar activities outside of football.”
Walcott’s move to Arsenal followed a period where he had made a significant impression during the first part of the season with Southampton in the Championship. He became the youngest player ever to play for the Saints at the age of 16 years and 143 days.
Nwaneri and Dowman, who were both 15 years old when they first played for Arsenal, are the two youngest players to ever make an appearance for the Gunners.
“I believe it’s essential to occasionally bring them back to reality and refrain from giving them everything instantly. I’m not implying that I acquired everything too quickly, but my experience was distinctly different, particularly concerning patience. It’s about keeping the media away from them at times, protecting them.
“I was immediately thrust into the spotlight with that World Cup appearance. It was like, ‘Go, now!’ Dealing with that situation presented a unique set of challenges. I managed to navigate it reasonably well, but things could have easily turned out differently.”
Despite the fact that England was missing several forwards who were both fit and available, Walcott did not participate in any matches during the competition held in Germany that summer. As a result, Sven Goran Eriksson faced criticism for his initial choice to include the young player in the team.
Arsenal’s young players will undoubtedly have their own set of obstacles and media attention to manage as time goes on. However, Walcott is of the opinion that the primary step towards assisting them in achieving their maximum potential lies in maintaining their sense of humility.
“I believe it’s valuable, even if someone like Max hasn’t played recently, just for them to be around the team. It reminds me of my time with the England team – being part of the squad, knowing that eventually I would be at that level, but not quite ready yet.
“He might not be entirely prepared right now, mainly because there are several players ahead of him in the pecking order. Nevertheless, he represents an option, a wildcard of sorts. When I was the unknown, nobody really knew what to expect from me.”
Walcott’s agility and unpredictability made him a tough opponent for defenders, especially when he had the space to make runs behind them. He still considers his pass to Emmanuel Adebayor in a Champions League game against Liverpool in 2008 as ‘my goal’ because he dribbled almost the entire length of the field, going past numerous Liverpool players before setting up the goal for the Togolese striker.
“That’s what I call an assist,” Walcott shares with FFT. “It’s like when you observe players like Reece James making a short pass to [Neto] the other day, and it’s considered an assist. While it’s true that you might have been the last to touch it, I consider that goal, the act of dribbling past all those players – similar to when Saka bypasses defenders and passes it back to a teammate – those, to me, are the true assists.
“I can still vividly recall every detail of that goal. I can picture all the players chasing after me, those who missed the ball, and the likes of [Steven] Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Mascherano. And then there was Adebayor’s celebratory dance, and the slap I received from Cesc Fabregas, which still stings to this day, but it was all part of the excitement.
“Many might criticize ‘Theo Walcott’s decision-making at times’, but they might not possess the same level of speed. Everyone has their own distinct strengths, and they make choices that reflect their individual abilities. I doubt any other player would have done [that].”
Arsenal will be playing against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, with Walcott providing commentary alongside presenter Alex Aljoe and comedian Jack Whitehall.
Prime Video’s coverage of Arsenal vs Atlético Madrid is available at no additional cost for Prime members.
