Walcot calls it quits after 18 years as a pro

What if, what if...

That could be the shortest summary of Theo Walcott's 18-year-long pro career, which is about to reach its end on Thursday night, as talkSPORT reports.

According to them, the 34-year-old Walcott is set to announce his retirement after he left Southampton at the end of last season.

Walcott had been linked with a move to Bournemouth along with League One outfit Reading but has, apparently, decided to call time on his career, which has seen him win three FA Cups and two Community Shields.

During his 12 years spent with Arsenal, he scored 108 goals in 397 matches and became one of the fan favourites. He joined the Gunners in January 2006, aged 16, from Southampton for an initial £5 million fee rising to £12m.

Walcott's debut for Arsenal came in August 2006, when he supplied the assist for Gilberto Silva's equaliser against Aston Villa - the club's first Premier League goal at the Emirates.

His first strike for Arsenal came in the 2007 League Cup final against Chelsea, and his best personal season came in the 2012-13 campaign, with 21 goals in all competitions for the North Londoners.

Walcott opted to make a move to Merseyside to join Everton in January 2018. However, he was on the move again in 2020 - returning to St Mary's on an initial loan deal before it was made permanent. His second spell on the south coast saw him fire in five goals in 58 games.

Back in May 2006, Walcott became the Three Lions' youngest player at the age of 17 years and 75 days when he appeared in a friendly win over Hungary.

He earned an England recall in 2008, where he scored a memorable hat-trick against Croatia, still remaining the youngest player to ever bang in a treble for the Three Lions - doing so at the age of 19.