Theo Walcott announces retirement despite Saudi Arabia offers
Former Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34, having rejected offers from Saudi Arabia and clubs in the EFL Championship.
Walcott most recently played for boyhood club Southampton but was released at the end of last season. He had shot to fame with the Saints as a 16-year-old, before joining Arsenal and getting a shock call-up to England’s 2006 World Cup within two months of turning 17.
At that point, Walcott was yet to make his senior debut for Arsenal, but went on to play just shy of 400 games for the Gunners over a 12-year period – he scored 108 goals and won two FA Cups.
With Arsenal career petering out, the forward joined Everton for more than £20m in January 2018. A 2020 loan to Southampton was then followed by a permanent transfer the next year.
Having remained unused in 2006, making his controversial selection even more of a talking point, Walcott eventually earned 47 senior England caps. He also scored eight goals, including three against Croatia in September 2008 – the youngest player to get a hat-trick for the Three Lions.
Walcott didn’t make the cut for the 2010 World Cup and missed the 2014 finals through injury. He was selected for Euro 2012, but was not chosen for Euro 2016, while his lack of club form saw his international career permanently end as of 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.”