I snubbed Man United, Chelsea and Liverpool for Arsenal - Mikel Arteta had already convinced me

Theo Walcott has opened up on his decision to join Arsenal from Southampton in 2006 and experiences with Mikel Arteta during his playing career. At just 16-years-old, Walcott made the huge decision to make the switch to the Gunners despite interest from a number of big Premier League clubs.

Across a staggering 397 appearances for Arsenal, Walcott scored 108 goals and picked up 73 assists helping the club win five trophies. However it could have been very different, with the man himself naming three teams that were keen to sign him nearly two decades ago.

“Chelsea and Liverpool were options. Manchester United came in very late which I was unaware of," he said on Sky Sports Premier League. "My mind was already made up though as soon as Arsene Wenger got involved. I remember going back to his place with David Dean."

He added: "Thierry Henry was of course a player I was inspired to learn from. As soon as Arsenal were involved I was like 'I just had to go there and play with him'. It was my dream to play with someone like that. If you ask any kid if they had the opportunity to play with their star, they're going to do it. It was an easy option."

Having spent 12 years at Emirates Stadium, Walcott played alongside a number of other club legends including Arteta. The 35-year-old has already expressed his admiration of the now Arsenal boss with it clear during their time in the dressing room together, he would go on to be successful in management.

Speaking recently on William Hill's Up Front Podcast, he said: “The turning point for me in terms of how I viewed Mikel Arteta was an experience I had with him as a player at Arsenal. It was at a time when we weren’t making the top four. We had training in 30 minutes and he locked all the players in the dressing room, as if he was the manager.”

Based on that honest admission, it's fair to say Walcott was been convinced by Arteta even prior to his appointment as the club's head coach back in late 2019.

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