Theo Walcott

Walcott grew up in the small village of Compton near Newbury, where he played for AFC Newbury. Walcott scored more than 100 goals (including a mini tournament) in his one and only season for Newbury, before leaving there for Swindon Town and later for Southampton. Nike agreed to a sponsorship deal with Walcott when he was fourteen years old.

He currently lives with his parents, Don and Lynn, at a five-bedroom villa near Arsenal’s training ground in Hertfordshire leaving his old house at Compton, near Newbury, which will be occupied by his sister Hollie, his nephew Sebastian and niece Aurora. His family made a cameo appearance in the 2007 film Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Theo himself was due to appear as well, but his commitments to Arsenal forced him to draw out.

Walcott and his father are both Liverpool FC fans. Walcott has never hidden the fact that he's a massive Liverpool supporter and even when Chelsea laid out the red carpet for him as a youngster, he used the opportunity to meet his real idols: "I was playing in a tournament for Swindon when Southampton and Chelsea showed an interest," recalls Walcott. "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. 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!"