The England international admits nearly waking up his village when Liverpool won the 2005 Champions League final.
Theo Walcott of Everton
Theo Walcott has made what could be a vital career move after leaving Arsenal for Everton this month. The England international’s stock at The Emirates had fallen dramatically recently and he therefore made the switch to Goodison Park, for a fee reported by the BBC to be in the region of £20 million.
But not many Everton fans will realise that when he was younger playing on Merseyside would have been a dream of his, but not in blue.
Rather the 47-cap international would have wanted to play in Liverpool red. The 28-year-old may be from down south, but he is in fact a Liverpool fan. In June 2006, not long after the then teenage Walcott had received a shock call-up to the 2006 World Cup by Sven-Goran Eriksson he gave this interview to the official Liverpool website, explaining why he was a Liverpool fan growing up:
“I was playing in a tournament for Swindon when Southampton and Chelsea showed an in. Chelsea invited me to be a ball-boy for a game against Liverpool and it was fantastic to meet my heroes Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler.
“I was a Liverpool fan simply because my dad followed them. Unfortunately I wasn’t born when the team had their golden era, but I enjoyed watching the likes of Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Steve McManaman when I was growing up.”
23 Aug 1997: Michael Owen of Liverpool celebrates a goal
He went on to explain how he caused some disruption in the leafy village of Compton, Berkshire when Liverpool staged their incredible Istanbul comeback v AC Milan in 2005:
“When Liverpool won the Champions League last year, I went mad. I was shouting so loud I think I woke up the entire village where I live!”
Granted, this was a long time ago now and Walcott is unlikely to harbour massive inclinations toward his boyhood club. He has spent over a decade with Arsenal, so will undoubtedly hold a flame for them, and is now an Everton player.
Istanbul, Turkey: Liverpool’s captain Steven Gerrard holds the trophy at the end of the UEFA Champions league football final
In the past there have been plenty of examples of boyhood Everton fans playing for Liverpool – including the likes of Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher – and it never got in the way of their performances at Anfield.
Hopefully the same will prove the case for Walcott at Goodison Park.
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