Theo Walcott judges his own pace, and the comments bring up Bale and Obafemi Martins
The former Arsenal winger's quick-fire Short drew about ten times the comments of a usual first day, while an ESPN FC panel on Messi's international retirement ran well ahead too.
ESPN UK
Story of Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 67,502 views a day, 13 times a normal first day on this channel (5,296).
Was Theo Walcott FASTER than these players? 👀⚡️
A simple question, answered by the man himself. In "Was Theo Walcott FASTER than these players?", the former Arsenal winger goes through a list of quick footballers and gives his verdict on each, and the Short is moving far faster than ESPN UK's usual.
Pace was always Walcott's calling card. Arsenal signed him from Southampton in 2006 as a 16-year-old, and he spent more than a decade at the club running in behind defenders. That is why the comment section is so lively. In 17 hours it collected well over a hundred comments, where a Short here usually gathers about a dozen on its whole first day.
Most of the talk is a friendly argument. Viewers line up their own names against him: Gareth Bale, Obafemi Martins, Kyle Walker, Leroy Sané, and the original Ronaldo, whose first few yards one viewer remembers as close to teleporting. Others ask where Adama Traoré is. A recurring thread holds that Walcott undersold himself, and several people point to the FIFA games of his era, when buying him and sending him in behind was their favorite trick. A few simply call him humble.
It shared the day with weightier business. An ESPN FC panel with Shaka Hislop, Don Hutchison and Jermaine Jones, hosted by Kay Murray, reacted to Lionel Messi's retirement from international football and to Cristiano Ronaldo's statement after leaving the Portugal squad, and it drew several times a usual first day for the channel's longer videos. Even so, ESPN UK as a whole is running well below its normal pace, which makes Walcott's sprint debate stand out all the more.
Published on Trari
Read next
What viewers say
Bro prime Theo was a pace merchant
@ZuluTheChefSee it on YouTubeR9 could teleport over the first 5 yards.
@GiliGulu1969See it on YouTubeVery humble man icl
@Adsuiii09See it on YouTube
7 more comments
I used to always buy prime Walcott in the FIFA games of that era because running in behind was an OP strategy and he was rapid
@Smoked_5LSee it on YouTubeAgreed up to Bale. That guy was quick both with and without the ball.
The most common pace abuser ever.@felix_karl_6560See it on YouTubesane faster than walker but theo faster than all of them without the ball he was absolutely rapid.
@aidenyounger3760See it on YouTubeGive me half his confidence and throw me in the middle of the ocean.
@mohamedouf5021See it on YouTubeon Fifa 23 he had a pace of 99.He's being humble
@aman1988-u6pSee it on YouTubeWalcott was really overpace fast.
@j2foot922See it on YouTubeHe was the second fastest in EPL in his prime after Shaun Wright-Phillips.
@gorkemgorduk4480See it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
Is this your channel?
Share the story with your audience: in a community post, in your channel's description or on your socials. The text and the badge are ready.
You may use the picture, the badge, and link it to this story.
- Channel
- ESPN UK
- Subscribers
- 1,600,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 7,368,418
- Channel views, pace per day
- 270,321 (on a normal day: 1,047,910)
- Video published
- October 7, 2026
- Video views so far
- 58,078 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 67,502
The numbers
A Short on this channel usually has a modest first day, and this one ran far past it, with a comment count to match.
💡 Test your knowledge
Gareth Bale, one of the names viewers compare with Walcott, joined Real Madrid in 2013 from which club?
Bale moved from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid in the summer of 2013 in a then world-record transfer.
