A return to Southampton can help Everton benchwarmer Theo Walcott reignite his Premier League career, former England teammate Darren Bent has told Alan Brazil’s Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT (5 October, 9.20am).
The Premier League veteran must have known the writing was on the wall when the Toffees snapped up a multiple Champions League and La Liga champion from none other than Real Madrid.
And with James Rodriguez shaking off the rust and establishing himself as the darling of Goodison Park in the blink of an eye, Walcott has been downgraded from a useful squad member to big-money benchwarmer on the blue half of Merseyside.
The former Arsenal favourite has played just 12 minutes of Premier League football all season.
And, with the transfer window set to close tonight, Walcott would surely jump at the chance to escape his Everton purgatory.
talkSPORT reports Southampton are keen to bring their prodigal son back to St Mary’s after 14 years away, although they would have to pay a substantial chunk of his £100,000-a-week wages to rubber stamp a short-term loan deal.
“It would be (a good move) because he needs to go somewhere and start playing football again,” says Bent, who played alongside Walcott with the Three Lions on his chest.
“From when he left Arsenal, he’s kind of struggled for a bit of consistency. Going back to Southampton, where it all started, could work out well for him.”
Walcott could be the perfect foil at St Mary’s for Danny Ings – another attacker who ignited his stalling career on the South Coast.
And Ralph Hasenhuttl’s free-flowing counter-attacking style looks well suited to a man who, even at the age of 31, remains one of the fastest forwards in the English game.
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