Former Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott has officially retired from football at the age of 34. He turned down offers from Saudi Arabia and clubs in the EFL Championship before making this decision.
Walcott’s journey began with his boyhood club Southampton, where he gained fame as a 16-year-old. He later joined Arsenal and surprisingly earned a spot in England’s 2006 World Cup squad within two months of turning 17.
Despite not having made his senior debut for Arsenal at the time, Walcott played nearly 400 games for the Gunners over a span of 12 years. He scored 108 goals and secured two FA Cup victories during his time there.
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In 2018, with his Arsenal career winding down, Walcott made a move to Everton for a sum exceeding £20 million. He had a loan spell back at Southampton in 2020, which was followed by a permanent transfer the following year.
While his initial selection for the 2006 World Cup stirred controversy due to his lack of experience, Walcott managed to earn 47 senior caps for England over time. Notably, he netted eight goals, including a hat-trick against Croatia in September 2008, making him the youngest player to achieve such a feat for the national team.
Although he missed out on the 2010 World Cup and the 2014 finals due to injury, Walcott continued to contribute to England’s Euro 2012 campaign. However, his club form decline led to his exclusion from Euro 2016 and marked the end of his international career by 2016.
“I’m officially going to be hanging up my boots. It’s very scary, I can’t lie,” Walcott said to former England teammate Gary Neville on The Overlap podcast.
“It’s scary because football’s all I’ve known from the age of 16 or even younger. I want to try new things I never experienced as a kid – I missed out on a lot. I just feel like I want to experience life – things [usually] revolve around football for me.
“I’ve had offers abroad and from some very good Championship teams. There’s been some Saudi offers but it’s not where I see myself playing, to be honest. Nothing against the money or the league but if my heart isn’t into playing football it’s not fair on the clubs, not fair on me.”
Walcott also posted a lengthy video from The Overlap on social media.
“The first moment I put my football boots on aged ten was a special journey for me. From playing in the park with friends to performing in some of the biggest stadiums in front of huge crowds across the world,” he said.
“The support shown to me throughout this time has been incredible and in every way imaginable I am truly grateful. I shared the football pitch with so many incredible players and we have created so many unforgettable memories.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to all the managers and coaches that I’ve worked with, especially Harry [Redknapp] for giving me a start and Arsene [Wenger] for showing the belief and supporting me when I joined the club at only 16 years old. Over 18 fantastic years in the Premier League, there are so many moments I will cherish.
“The early days at Southampton Football Club, my transfer to Arsenal where I spent 12 enjoyable years and scored over 100 goals, winning the FA Cup and scoring in the final which is every kid’s dream. To have had the opportunity to represent England 47 times and to go to the World Cup in 2006 aged just 17 and still to hold the record for the youngest-ever debut by a senior England player and the youngest hat-trick goalscorer at 19 – I will never forget that feeling.
“I’m lucky enough to have had offers to continue playing but it feels right to finish where I started and hang up my football boots. Thank you to everyone who has been with me along the way.”
