Theo Walcott’s message to Everton fans after signing is confirmed

Everton finally confirmed the signing of forward Theo Walcott from Arsenal earlier today, and the player certainly seems excited to join the Blues from his comments.

“I’m very ambitious and I’ve come here because I want the Club to push to the next level. And with the players that have come in, I feel like the next level can be reached.

“I’m very excited to be starting a new chapter and I felt this was the right place for me to be. The manager is very ambitious and I feel like the Club is going in the right direction.”

Regarding the club itself, he added -

“Everton is a club with a great history. The fans are always passionate, they’re great and I always used to find it very tough playing here.

“The Club has won trophies but I want them to win trophies now. The manager is very hungry and it’s just what I need. I’ve had a couple of chats with him and straightaway I felt that hunger and that desire that he wanted from me. I need that and I wanted that.

“I want to be part of something which he’s building and, like I said before, it’s a very ambitious club.”

He went on to mention the new stadium project that is ongoing at the Bramley-Moore docks.

“The fact there’s a new stadium going to be developing in the next few years, it’s exciting times for Everton Football Club.

“I’m dead excited and I just want to do what I do best which is playing football and expressing myself because I’m excited again, I really am. I do really believe that I’m going to give it my all, which is what I always have done, and this place is going to get even more out of me.

“There’s something about this move which I’ve just felt good about.

“It felt like it was time for me to move on [from Arsenal]. It was sad but it’s exciting at the same time and I want to reignite my career and push Everton to win things as they have done before.

“I want to be part of something and I feel like this place will offer me that.”

Meanwhile, manager Sam Allardyce added that he felt Walcott would bring goals, pace and excitement to Everton’s dawdling attack.

“I am thrilled. There was a bit of a chase between a couple of clubs but I think after we set out the ambitions of the Club and my ambitions for him he was motivated to come here and refreshed in his mind by the new challenge he can put upon himself.

“He wants to go somewhere where he can be successful. He wants to play every week and really take his career forward again.

“We have looked at the amount of goals, assists and pace that he brings to the side and it is a very good acquisition. There was a lot of shrewd negotiation by the Club in terms of today’s prices and, hopefully, it will prove to be exceptionally good value for money.

“If you analyse his goal record, then we are looking at a player who contributes goals on a regular basis, as well as assists and working hard off the ball for the team – and helping out the full-back when he needs to defend. I think that is very important.

“His physical output is excellent, he would be one of our top players in that area as well, which will hopefully bring us a lot more excitement and more ability to get forward quicker and create.

“I did not come out of retirement to not be able to try to improve the side and I have to thank the owners, the Chairman and everybody for getting stuck into these deals.”

The manager also spoke about Walcott’s past experience in the Champions League and internationally with England, saying they helped in the decision making to pursue the player.

“His experience with Arsenal, playing Champions League football and fighting to get into Champions League positions, and winning FA Cups [made him the right player for Everton],” said Allardyce, who made Walcott his second Everton signing, following the capture of Turkey international goalscorer Cenk Tosun from Besiktas earlier this month.

“He has 47 caps for England, he is 28, and has a lot of ambition to take off again with his career.

“Even though he scored 19 goals in 37 games last year, because Arsenal are now playing with wing-backs there was no real position for Theo and he has been frustrated.

“That allowed us to move in and make a bid, Arsenal to accept it, and him to join us here at Everton Football Club. And I am looking forward to him having a very successful time with us.

“He is at a prime age. The prime age of a professional footballer is between 25, 26 and 30, 31. That is when they appear, by all research today, to be at the peak of their careers.

“We have not got too many players in that age bracket in the squad, so he adds one to that. He has a lot of experience and will hopefully provide a lot of excitement for the Everton fans and for us, in terms of getting results, assists and scoring goals.”