Southampton forward reveals why Chelsea showed interest in signing him

Southampton forward reveals why Chelsea showed interest in signing him

Southampton forward Theo Walcott has revealed he could’ve joined Chelsea before he was snapped up by Southampton.

Walcott joined Southampton’s academy from Swindon in 2000 at the tender age of 11 after rejecting the chance to join Chelsea’s academy.

Walcott recalled Chelsea’s interest in signing him during an interview with Daily Mail columnist Jamie Redknapp, saying: “Every time I think of your Dad I smile.

“Before joining Southampton’s academy, Chelsea showed an interest in signing me.”

Walcott added: “They scared the s*** out of me, to be honest! They showed me the first team, the dressing room. I’m seeing Gianfranco Zola, all these guys. That was a lot to take.

“Southampton just showed me the academy side. They didn’t show me anything to do with the first team.