On this day 36 years ago, on March 16, 1989 (February 9, 1989 lunar calendar), Arsenal star Theo Walcott was born. On March 16, 1989, Arsenal star Theo Walcott was born. In the 2006 World Cup, England coach Eriksen's 23-man World Cup list, Walcott became the biggest surprise. What happened in just a few months was incredible for the 17-year-old star. From a substitute for the Championship team, to a member of the Premier League giants Arsenal, to playing in the World Cup with England, such a rise can only be described as a miracle. Who is Walcott? This question has been asked since the winter transfer period of the 2005/06 season. In January, Arsenal spent £5 million to buy him from Southampton, and depending on the number of appearances, the fee could rise to 12 million, a figure that has set an England record for an under-20 player. Seven months ago, in October 2005, Walcott was an unknown child, and he had just entered the first team of Southampton and became their main striker. But by February 2006, he had been included in Arsenal's Champions League squad and sat on the bench in the game against Real Madrid. On March 16, 1989, Walcott was born in the rural village of Compton, Beckhill. When he was in school, he showed amazing sporting talent. At the Beckhill regional sports meeting, he ran a time of 11.5 seconds in the 100 meters, breaking the record of the county sports meeting. Regarding his sporting talent, Walcott once said: "If I wasn't a player, I might have become a track and field player. You can realize your strengths. I am fast, which is my strength." At the beginning of football training, Walcott played for Swindon's Under-11 team, and later moved to Southampton club. In a game against Wolves in August, Walcott was sent to play when he was only 16 years and 143 days old. In October, he made his first start against Leeds and scored his first goal for Southampton. In 2005, he was named the top three by the BBC as Sports Newcomer of the Year.