Theo Walcott has revealed the real reason Mikel Arteta hired pickpockets to steal his players’ phones – and it wasn’t just to keep his Arsenal stars alert.
Gunners boss Arteta has become renowned for his quirky man management gimmicks, like blasting You’ll Never Walk Alone around the training ground ahead of a game against Liverpool.
He did so once again over the summer when it emerged he’d hired professional pickpockets to steal his team’s valuables during a team dinner.
‘Oh right, they’ll definitely win the league this year then,’ was Roy Keane’s sarcastic appraisal of Arteta’s methods but his former Arsenal team-mate Walcott believes such reactions are all a part of his plan.
‘Well, it gets you lot talking, doesn't it,’ Walcott tells Mail Sport. ‘It gets us distracted from the actual football side of things and it gets us talking about something completely different and out of the ordinary.
Theo Walcott revealed the reason Mikel Arteta hired pickpockets to steal his players’ phones
‘That's what Mikel does. He gets people to think in a different way. So now people always going to be alert in that dressing room. That's the message he sent. That was just a pure sort of exercise, and it worked, but now you go into everyday work and life alert.’
Walcott remembers the training ground incident during their time as Arsenal team-mates under Arsene Wenger that made him certain Arteta would go on to be a manager.
Arsenal were struggling in their pursuit of the top four and, as Wenger was waiting for the players to come out for training, Arteta locked them all in the dressing room to read them the riot act.
‘He didn't allow us to go outside,’ adds Walcott. ‘He literally pulled the whole team and said a few home truths and after that sort of conversation, I knew he was going to be a manager. Not just that, we made the top four.
‘He always tried something slightly different and that was probably the most unusual thing I've seen a player do: stop training.’
Walcott, like many, believes Arsenal will finally topple Man City this season after going close over the last two campaigns. The former Gunners star was with his old mentor over the summer and he’s seen first-hand why so many are tipping them for the title, especially after their ruthless opening victory over Wolves.
‘I was with them in preseason,’ added Walcott. ‘I've seen how structured they are as a unit and, mentally, the way Mikel has hammered his team. I feel like it's going to be third time lucky.
‘I feel like they want it more and they are ready. I just feel like they're more equipped as a structure. They've learned a lot. They have got a few more experienced players that know the hurt and I just feel like this year could well be their year.’