Player profile: Theo Walcott
Theo is a pace packed, direct, passionate and planned forward winger. Being thrown into lime light at the early age of 17 years, Theo Walcott shone in spotlight when he was named in England's squad for the 2006 World Cup as the youngest
player in a tournament friendly. Taken on board as a fresh entry from Southampton; at the age of 16, in January 2006 Walcott has improved and proved his talent impressively.
Without ever really appearing for the Arsenal’s first team, the player was taken to the FIFA World Cup 2006 on advice of Arsene Wenger. He did not make it to the World Cup but the advancer broke into the Arsenal first-team squad the following
season and inaugurated his chronicles for the club in a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the final of the 2007 Carling Cup.
Intermittent starts followed over the next two seasons as the new star, once portrayed as the heir evident to Thierry Henry, was used largely as a winger by Wenger. Nevertheless, fitness troubles began to take their hold on Walcott, particularly
in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 campaigns as he was restricted to only 28 league starts over the two seasons.
It can easily be stated that no one was expecting such an extraordinary performance his rapid progress was much appreciated. However a tally of nine goals in 86 games from his first three seasons in the first team did not signify the excellence
that some had hoped for, therefore a picture was presented that the winger did need a bit more polish.
Walcott possess the speed of a sprinter and could have gone into athletics. His strengths show his skills to be an impact substitute and fearful striker against oppositions defence with his sharp speed and moves, on the wing or as a striker.
His hindrances are his inconsistencies which are a product of his final production in a fast creation on the football field. In the form of crossing, finishing or passing he usually runs like a horse with blinds not looking at the side
for opponents and running in a straight line. He has been labelled as being low on the intelligence domain on the ground.
The young winger has taken this criticism, in his stride and has put countless hours into practicing and training to be the best that he can be. As the season started, everyone predicted that Walcott would be back to his terrible self
again. Only that was not the case this time around.
Walcott had been phenomenal so far; he has scored four goals and had a couple of assists under his belt too. But despite this fact, that the season has only been six weeks in. Walcott even managed to get a call up to the national side
to play in the Euro qualifiers; however the player managed to get injured while playing for the national side.
He has nonetheless managed to recover from his injuries and is now back to his level best. Walcott when brought on to the pitch always bring a whole new dimension to the Arsenal side, his pace is something to be admired and is often the
aspect to his game that gives him the cutting edge over the opposing defenders.
Walcott is still only 21-years-old and has his whole career ahead of him, if he can managed to improve his game even further then he could potentially go down as one of the greatest to ever play in an Arsenal strip.
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