Theo Walcott is a former England international and one-time prodigy. Initially making his name as a fresh-faced teenager at Southampton, Walcott was the great hope for England for a short period before settling into a squad role at Arsenal.
A career of significant highs, injuries and debate of his best position might not have lived up to the near-unachievable expectations of his early days on the south coast, but Walcott has enjoyed a lengthy tenure as part of Premier League odds.
It might be harsh to deem Walcott a nearly man, yet he never got to celebrate league or European titles, instead settling for FA Cup glory as a highpoint of team success.
For England, his career is best remembered for one night in Croatia and a shock call-up to the 2006 World Cup squad. His 47 caps illustrate a career of unfulfilled promise. Let’s learn a bit more about the Stanmore native.
Net Worth
Estimations of Theo Walcott net worth span from around the £10 million mark up towards £50 million. Ultimately, the figure probably lies between those two values, with Walcott having spent the best part of two decades in the Premier League.
His career earnings are nothing to sniff at, yet the former Arsenal man enjoyed his peak years a few seasons before the mega contracts we have witnessed since the explosion of television revenue.
Walcott’s endorsement history is minor compared to some of his England teammates, yet he moved from Nike to Adidas in 2015, which is bound to have been a lucrative pact.
Where some of his peers have branched into punditry as an additional source of income, Walcott’s biggest moment off the field is being the subject of an iconic Peep Show quote.
Maybe we will see more of Walcott as a pundit once he hangs up his boots for good.
Salary
Despite never being a betting favourite for the Premier League Golden Boot or ever establishing himself as an England regular, Theo Walcott has earned some hefty salaries throughout his career.
Walcott is reportedly earning £75,000 per week at Southampton in 2022-23, the same figure he received in 2021-22.
This represents a decrease from the £91,000 he was on during his stint with Everton, and he broke the £100,000 barrier during his final campaigns with Arsenal.
He has started just five league matches for Southampton since the start of last season, yet he is the club’s highest-paid player.
While his current deal represent value for the club, it is worth noting that he is still outside the top 100 in Premier League weekly wages. Former Saint Luke Shaw, for instance, earns double of Walcott’s salary.
Champions League Goals
Theo Walcott scored 15 Champions League goals, all of which came during his time at Arsenal.
The last of those was particularly significant, as it took the former England international past Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane in the competition’s goal scoring charts.
Udinese and Slavia Prague were the only teams Walcott scored more than once against in Europe’s premier club competition.
Barcelona and Bayern Munich were the most prestigious opponents he scored against – there were limited knockout round opportunities with Arsenal often struggling once they had made it out of the group.
Career Statistics
-
Southampton 2005-06 – 23 appearances, five goals
-
Arsenal 2006-18 – 397 appearances, 108 goals
-
Everton 2018-21 – 85 appearances, 11 goals
-
Southampton 2020-present – 34 appearances, three goals
-
England – 47 caps, eight goals
England Hat-Trick
Perhaps the best moment of Walcott’s lengthy career came wearing the Three Lions back in 2008. England were away to Croatia, a match that presented a serious challenge for Fabio Capello’s side.
Walcott, just a teenager at the time, delivered the match-winning performance for England, as the visitors claimed a 4-1 victory in Zagreb.
These were the early days of Walcott’s career, a time when he was one of the best young players in Premier League predictions but still had plenty to prove.
Following his heroics, Walcott was typically modest, praising his teammates rather than basking in the glory of an historic performance.
"There were 11 stars out there, the whole team showed how strong we are as a unit, they were absolutely brilliant.
"The first two goals were very similar, I tend to cross the ball a lot, so I thought I would be a bit more greedy this time. The third was just a brilliant pass from Wayne Rooney."
Despite delivering in a big way early in Capello’s tenure, Walcott ultimately fell out of favour with the Italian, subsequently being left out of the 2010 World Cup squad.
Speaking to TalkSport several years later, Walcott shed some light on the potential cause.
"I missed a meeting once and I’m someone who likes to be on time. I went to John Terry and I’m young, I said sorry for missing the meeting and he said it was fine.
"I thought no, I’ll go to Capello, and I was pretty-much on my knees saying sorry. He just shrugged his shoulders and closed the door on me.
"I actually thought, ‘How f****** rude is that?’ I was s******* myself before, I went to John Terry, one of the most respectable guys in the camp, who said it was fine. Then I go to the manager and he does that to me.
"He was very cold. Sometimes it was appropriate, but sometimes it was a bit much."
While Walcott spoke positively about playing for Capello, his wife Melanie was less forgiving.
The ex-Everton forward explained, “The night he lost the England job, I was having a meal with my now wife Melanie and Capello was there. We were having Chinese at The Dorchester.
"We said hello afterwards and Mel gave him the death stare. He didn’t take me to the World Cup, after the Croatia hat-trick I didn’t go. That’s why Mel gave him the dirty stare."
Career Honours
-
FA Cup – 2014-15, 2016-17
-
Community Shield – 2015, 2017
-
BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year – 2006
-
BBC Goal of the Month – November 2012
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th September 2022
