Theo Walcott: I’m Hanging Up My Boots
The Overlap
The Overlap
4.3 • 571 Ratings
🗓️ 22 August 2023
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On The Overlap this week, brought to you by Sky Bet, we have an exclusive interview with former England, Arsenal, Everton and Southampton forward Theo Walcott who has announced his retirement from professional football.
During the episode we talk about Walcott’s shock inclusion as a 17-year-old into England’s 2006 World Cup squad and how much of a psychological effect this had on him and his family.
We also chat about his England career as a whole and about the weight of expectation of his career which was magnified from the start, as well as how he handled the fame of being a top-level footballer from a young age.
Finally, we delve into his highly successful Arsenal career, who he joined from Southampton, and what his plans are now he’s hung up his boots for good.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I want to just try new things. I never really experienced certain things when I was a kid and I missed out on a lot. |
| 0:10.0 | Did it damage you that a little bit? |
| 0:12.0 | That era was mad of people following Mel, even causing accidents and cars just to get a picture of me and her together. |
| 0:19.0 | It's just like 16 and70-year-old. |
| 0:21.6 | Yeah, I didn't remember you and Mel being sort of big news in that tournament, |
| 0:23.6 | amongst other couples that were big news as well. |
| 0:25.6 | So I look back on that thinking, I don't really wish that of anyone else. |
| 0:30.6 | Essentially, like, the World Cup I probably should have gone to. |
| 0:33.6 | 2010, I didn't go. |
| 0:35.6 | That's when I was probably flying at my best playing really well. |
| 0:38.9 | What happened that? |
| 0:39.7 | So we're here today to interview Theo Walcott. |
| 0:52.0 | 34 years of age. |
| 0:53.5 | It's incredible that 18 years ago, he came to Germany, |
| 0:57.5 | to Barden in a World Cup squad. At the time, it was a huge announcement. He was a star, |
| 1:03.7 | the most expensive teenager in the world. And then he's had a career that spanned over 550 matches, |
| 1:09.4 | scoring over 100 goals, |
| 1:15.6 | and he's now in limbo at a point in his career where Southampton just gone down, |
| 1:18.2 | the club that he grew up at, and the club that gave him his opportunity, |
| 1:20.1 | and he's got a big decision to make. |
| 1:22.5 | We're going to find out today from Theo what his plans are. |
| 1:26.6 | Theo, welcome to the overlap. |
... |
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