Theo: Growing Up Fast

by Theo Walcott

England's most exciting young soccer player tells the story of his meteoric rise to fame When the name of Theo Walcott was included in the England squad for the 2006 World Cup, shock waves ran through the sports world. But no one was more surprised than Theo himself. When his dad Don told him he'd been called up, Theo asked "For what?" Four years later, Theo Walcott has one of the most recognizable faces in soccer. As the English heart of the brilliant young Arsenal team, he has become a firm favorite at the Emirates Stadium. For fans, he represents everything that is good about the beautiful game. For his country, he now carries the hopes and expectations of the nation on his shoulders, especially since one night in Croatia made him the youngest player ever to score a hat-trick for England. It has been an incredible adventure and an unbelievable story for a quiet boy from a small village who only started playing when he was 11. But how does it feel to be 21 and for your dreams to come true? To have been called "the perfect footballer?" For the first time, Theo Walcott is going public to take fans inside his private world, the world of a superstar in the ascendant, yet one with his feet planted firmly on the ground. It's going to be some journey.

Genres: Football, Nonfiction, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

Theo Walcott is an English footballer who plays for Arsenal and the England national team.

Reviews

[GuigLit · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read for any football fan and especially any Arsenal fan. It is somewhat dated now - many of the players referenced in it are now retired and football has moved on a lot, as it finishes at the end of the 2010-11 season. Because of this I found it more interesting to read almost as a historical source of its time, taking me back to a lot of memories I had forgotten as a fan.

I’d be really interested to read a follow-up to this as Walcott’s voice in this is very readable. I’d love to know his take on the rest of his days at Arsenal and the final chapters of his own career as, while the book leaves him as a 22 year old with a lot of his career ahead of him, at the time of writing he is now 34 and back at Southampton with so many more experiences now under his belt.

TLDR: worth a read especially from a historical perspective.

[John Newcomb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is quite amusing reading a life story written by a 21 year old. Knowing the later stages of his career I suppose the book covered the best of him, a player who never quite fulfilled his potential for no obvious reason save for a string of unfortunate injuries.

[Said Faqih · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was decently written. He has provide a good a perspective to the reader on what it is like to be a rising star. The criticism he had to face during his early years by the media and he also exposed the fact there were many criticism elsewhere. The book is pretty well written from a young author. Although, it may be confusing at times to follow as the book is not necessarily in its chronological order.

[Cahdii · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pretty good read. As a Walcott fan i found it interesting but i don't think someone who's not a fan would find it as interesting. And it got a bit boring and repetitive after a point. He's still growing as a player. I think he should have waited a few years before publishing, when he's cemented his place in the Arsenal squad and he's won a few trophies.

[... · Rating 1 out of 5]

الكتاب 320 صفحة ممكن تلخص المفيد منها في 5 صفحات
لا جديد ولا أسرار ولا رؤية شخصية من والكوت ولا شيء مميز في شخصيته ليحكيه هنا
واسلوب الكتاب باهت وواضح انه عمل من صحفي وكأنه يسرد تقرير عن مشوار اللاعب

الكتاب وصلني هدية ولا الصدق ما كنت مهتم فيه

[Fairus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was wrong. The book is entertaining in some ways. Not so much of his career though. Theo is witty, and presumably a good writer. Fun and relaxing reading

[Chip Punk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book by a brilliant footballer. What more can I say?