Theo Walcott has rejoined Southampton, the club have confirmed.
Walcott, 31, adds additional strength to Ralph Hassenhuttl’s side on a season-long loan from fellow Premier League side Everton.
The Englishman originally joined Southampton’s academy at the age of 11, before making his first team debut aged 16 against Leeds United in 2005.
After making 23 appearances and scoring 5 goals for the Saints, Walcott was nominated for Sports Personality of the Year ahead of an initial £5m transfer to Arsenal, where he made 398 appearances and scored 108 goals. He also had two winners medals to his name, namely in the FA Cup whilst also adding 47 England caps to his statistics.
He has made 77 appearances for Everton since his transfer in 2018.
In a statement, Walcott said:
As soon as Southampton came in for me, it’s part of me and has made the player I am – it is in my heart. I’ll probably cry when I first play, and it means so much.
Manager Ralph Hassenhuttl added:
His experience and influence will be important for our young players – the idea is not to block their development but for [Theo Walcott’s arrival] to make it faster.
Walcott becomes the fourth signing for the Saints, after the arrival of defenders Mohammed Salisu and Kyle Walker-Peters as well as midfielder Ibrahima Diallo.
