Statistically, there are none more effective than Walcott at 24

Eight years ago, Theo Walcott was automatically a fan favourite from day one; our sole Englishman in an array of multi-national talent.

Why is thus so significant? Well because he was 16, ill-advisedly taken to a World Cup, before playing for Arsenal and had a ludicrous weight of expectation on his young shoulders. His and Arsenal’s detractors criticised him when he played for not delivering, and when Arsenal were not playing him enough.

Arsenal fans have on occasion become frustrated with his lack of consistency, even during a match – the first 5-2 vs. Tottenham Hotspur of course is the perfect example of this. However two things have prompted me to do a little research.

Firstly when writing about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the expectation we have of him led me to compare him with both Paul Gascoigne and Walcott. With this came the realisation that most creative players are not hitting their peak until 23/24.

Secondly I read and enjoyed the superb season reflective on Walcott, by Michael Jeffares on Gunners Town, which very clearly illustrated how little plaudits he had gained for his substantial contribution to our season.

It was born out of Michael’s article in which he noticed that despite ending the season with 21 goals and 14 assists for Arsenal, no one was mentioning Theo in dispatches. Perhaps we were so relieved that he had signed the contract attention that we moved on and underappreciated his contribution, particularly in the final few weeks.

Walcott’s contribution might sit at 24 when compared to his peers in the Premier League and indeed in some instances his rivals for his national team shirt. To make this a relevant analysis however I sought only to compare each players achievements up until the season in which they turned 24, while also only looking at individuals who play wide in a 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or in our case a 4-2-3-1.

# Bale is only 23

At 24, the likes of Santi Cazorla and David Silva were regulars at the top end of La Liga and their contributions in goals and assist are some way behind Theo’s.

Nani at 24 had played in 3 Premier League title wining sides and his figures are half that of Walcott’s at the same age, while Antonio Valencia had barely made a consistent impact at Wigan.

Two years ago England decided not to take Walcott to the World Cup preferring the likes of James Milner and Aaron Lennon? What did Capello want from his wide players? Not goals and assists obviously!

What about the man we all love to hate? Samir Nasri, 33 goals and 39 assists in France and for the Arsenal by the time he hit 24. About 60% of what Theo has achieved.

Only Gareth Bale and Juan Mata have made similarly telling impacts at the top level at such a young age as Walcott.

So we Gooners should be proud of the player Walcott has become and be confident in the knowledge that he is only going to improve with age. Of course we now know that as he is getting better he will be doing into for the foreseeable future in London N5.

Who knows what the figures could have been also had he not missed some many long spells through injury. If we keep the same formation, one genuinely hopes he stays out wide, instinctively cutting in when appropriate and using his pace to beat the full back more often.

It might be interesting to see where the wide players of the best sides in Europe were at 24. Would Bayern and Barcelona be fair?

Franck Ribery had barely seen his career kick into gear at 24 and look what he has achieved subsequently. We all remember Arjen Robben terrorising defences whilst winning two titles with Cheslea when he was 22/23 and even his stats are well behind Theo’s!

Pedro and Sanchez are only 25 and 24 respectively playing consistently for the best side in Europe, many would argue until this year and they can’t match Theo for goals or assists.

So there you have it in black and white, or mostly in red and while, Walcott has few peers when it comes to what he has contributed to his club’s cause at such a young age. We forget because he has been with us for so long that he is only 24 and if he continues at the rate he is and stay with us for the length of his contract he will almost certainly be in the top 3 or 4 scorers in our history.

Here is a video of every goal and assist from last season as a reminder of what Theo delivered in our cause: