Former Arsenal and Southampton attacker Theo Walcott is set to call time on his football career, according to talkSPORT.
Walcott, whose journey began at Southampton, soared to prominence at Arsenal.
He scored over 100 goals for the Gunners after joining them at 16 in a groundbreaking £5 million deal, which rose to £12m.
Walcott debuted for Arsenal in August 2006 in a match against Aston Villa, providing the assist for Gilberto Silva’s equalising goal – a historic moment as it marked the club’s first Premier League goal at the Emirates Stadium.
Walcott made 563 appearances for the club, bagging 129 goals across various competitions, including 80 in the Premier League.
His tenure at Arsenal, spanning 12 years, saw him notch 108 goals in 397 matches despite battling several injuries during his final days in London.
Walcott’s career trajectory included a spell at Everton before a brief return to his roots at Southampton, initially as a loan deal and then permanently.
He was an England international, accumulating 47 caps for the Three Lions. His legacy includes being the youngest player to represent England, earning that honour at 17 years and 75 days in a friendly match against Hungary.
Walcott remains the youngest player to net a hat-trick for the Three Lions – an extraordinary feat accomplished when he was 19 years old.
Walcott could not keep Southampton in the Premier League as they crashed back down to the Championship at the end of last season.
The Saints did not give him a new deal forcing him to become a free agent and ultimately calling time on his 18-year career.
