14. Theo Walcott

Theo Walcott joined Arsenal in January 2006 to a fanfare of publicity but, in many ways, he only "arrived" last season.

Theo spent most of his first 18 months at Emirates Stadium developing his game on the training pitches but, last term, he made a significant step forward with 39 appearances. The teenager earned a reputation as an 'impact substitute', memorably racing 80 yards to set up a Champions League goal for Emmanuel Adebayor at Liverpool. Theo's efforts were lost in the remnants of a numbing European exit but it underlined what he was capable of.

He was equally unlucky at Birmingham in February when a well-taken brace was overshadowed by Eduardo's sickening injury and two dropped points. Nonetheless, Theo's raw pace and ability is now being channeled to good effect and he was rewarded for his improvement with a call-up to the England squad in May. He might have been a shock inclusion in the 2006 World Cup squad but Theo's international calibre is clear now.

The challenge for Theo this season is to secure a regular starting place with his club. Arsène Wenger believes there are "no limitations" on how the teenager can develop and, although the Frenchman tends to deploy Theo as a right winger at the moment, an improvement in his link-up play could see the England man emulate his boyhood hero Michael Owen and flourish up front too.

 

MY YEAR

May

Although Theo featured in four of May’s five fixtures, it was his off-pitch exploits that were most pleasing for Arsenal fans. On Friday, May 8 the 20-year-old put pen to paper on a new long-term deal at the Club. Afterwards he said: “It’s fantastic to work with the best manager in the world and play at Emirates Stadium, which is an unbelievable place to play in. I just want to continue playing my football at this Club and look forward to many successful seasons ahead.”

April

Theo played a part in all eight of April’s fixtures, starting all but one. The rapid winger scored a crucial equaliser against Wigan on Saturday 11th and opened the scoring in Arsenal’s FA Cup Semi-Final defeat against Chelsea with a clinical volley. Then, in the Gunners’ incredible 4-4 draw with Liverpool, the England ace embarked on another mazy dribble to supply Andrey Arshavin with his fourth of the evening.

March

Theo made his long awaited return from a dislocated shoulder after 71 minutes of Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Burnley on March 8th. The winger went on to feature in the next three fixtures of the month, starting twice. However, the rapid winger suffered another injury setback during training on Friday, March 20.

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