Theo Walcott reveals Wayne Rooney convinced him to end Arsenal career in £25m Everton switch

Theo Walcott has credited former England team-mate Wayne Rooney with convincing him to make his move from Arsenal to Everton.

Walcott completed his switch to Goodison Park on Thursday for an initial £20million with a further £5m in add-ons, vowing to “reignite” a career that stalled in his final months at Arsenal.

The 28-year-old is not the only striker to have made the move to Everton in search of a fresh start, with Rooney having returned to his boyhood club after 13 years at Manchester United, only one more than Walcott spent at Arsenal.

And Everton’s new number 11 has revealed that he spoke to Rooney before opting to reject a comeback of his own at Southampton and move to the Toffees.

“I had numerous chats with Wayne and that was one massive factor which really tempted me to come to Everton,” Walcott told evertontv.

“He told me it was a great place to play football and a club that is on the up. Those are the reasons I came here.

“This is a club with great history. The fans are brilliant, they are always passionate… and I used to find it very tough playing here

“You want to be part of something and Wayne feels Everton are really going to improve.”