Theo Walcott was born on 16 March 1989 and grew up near Newbury. After joining the youth scheme at Southampton, he became the Saints' youngest ever player, before joining Arsenal in January 2006. Following his surprise selection in Sven-Gran Eriksson's World Cup squad, Theo set another record in making his England dbut at the age of just 17 years and 75 days, and was named the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2006.
He is now approaching 200 appearances for Arsenal, and in September 2008 became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for England.
When the name of Theo Walcott was included in the England squad for the 2006 World Cup, shock waves ran through the football world. But no one was more surprised than Theo himself.
Five years later, Theo Walcott is one of the most recognizable names in football. As the English heart of the brilliant young Arsenal team, he has become a firm favourite at the Emirates Stadium. He represents everything that is good about the beautiful game: a player with his feet on the ground, but lightning quick on the field. He carries the expectations of the nation on his shoulders, especially since one night in Croatia made him the youngest player in history to score a hat-trick for England.
It has been an incredible adventure, an unbelievable story for a quiet boy from a small village who only started playing football when he was 10. But how does it feel for your dreams to come true? In Theo: Growing Up Fast, Theo Walcott takes you for the first time right inside his world.
The amazing story, in his own words, of the meteoric rise to fame of one of England's most exciting young footballers Articulate and affecting… There is a hard core of ambition and self-belief that has helped him to thrive, without spoiling his unfledged charm when viewed among seasoned professionals