Teenage star Theo tipped to match Rooney’s rapid rise

TEENAGE prodigy Theo Walcott has the potential to be the next Wayne Rooney - according to the Southampton striker’s agent.

A host of leading Premiership clubs - including Arsenal and Chelsea - are believed to be in the queue to land the 16-year-old.

Walcott’s agent, Warwick Horton, has not been surprised by the interest shown in his client, who has been compared to Thierry Henry.

“He has the potential to be as successful as Wayne Rooney although he has been likened more to Thierry Henry because of his style and pace,” he said. “He is an ambitious lad and wants to train and play with the best players he can to try to take his career to the next level.”

Horton admits the constant speculation has affected Walcott, adding: “It has been an unsettling time for Theo. He loves Southampton and has been surprised by the interest although he rarely reads the papers or pays much interest to speculation.”

Walcott’s future looks certain to lie away from Southampton, after they confirmed offers from two ‘top Premiership clubs’ had been received, and that they also were expecting a third.

Chelsea are also widely reported to have offered more than the initial £4.5m said to be on the table from the Gunners, which would rise to around £12m based on appearances and the players’ development.

Wenger last week admitted allowing Walcott to stay at St Mary’s for the rest of the season would “not be a deal breaker”, which would at least allow the Saints the chance to further test his talents in an attempt to make a late push for the play-offs.

The young striker is, though, a big fan of Henry, and is understood to be more interested in moving to north London than Stamford Bridge.

Henry feels Walcott would make a good addition to the Gunners squad. “There are a lot of teams trying to get him but if he can join us then I would welcome him here and he would be a benefit,” Henry said.

“People are saying there are similarities (between the pair) and it’s good to hear what he said about me.

“I first saw him play in the youth cup and I saw him as a player with great pace and a lot of tricks. I’ve also seen him play this year. I can’t even remember what I was like as a player when I was that age so it’s difficult to say. But he’s a young player with a lot of desire and skills who obviously loves to play football.”