T.J. and the Hat-trick (12 page)

Maybe they could make the school better, TJ thought. It was funny how it seemed like a different place already, now that they all had something to celebrate together. And this was just the beginning. Marshall and Mr Wood had been like him once. There must have been a time when they’d played for the first time, maybe on a pitch just like this one. And, for both of them, a day had come when they had run out in front of forty thousand cheering fans to play for Wanderers for the first time . . .

It could be me, he thought.

One day, it could be me.

A
N
OTE FROM
T
HEO

When I was younger my nickname was TJ and like the character in my book I didn’t begin playing football seriously until I was ten years old. Just seven years later when I was 17 I was called up for the England squad for the World Cup in Germany!

Me and my friends were really lucky at school. We had a PE teacher who always helped us and was always on our side. He was a bit like Mr Wood in the story. There are bits of me in the story too . . .

Keep playing and practising!

Who knows what might happen to you – maybe you will get the chance to play for your country some day!

Theo Walcott

A special thanks to Caroline McAteer and Pippa Hancock from The Sports PR Company and Jonathan Harris from Luxton Harris Ltd

About the Author

T
HEO
W
ALCOTT
was born on 16th March 1989 and grew up near Newbury. After joining the youth scheme at Southampton, he became the Saints’ youngest ever player, before joining Arsenal in January 2006.

Following Theo’s surprise selection in Sven-Göran Eriksson’s World Cup squad, Theo set another record in making his England debut at the age of just 17 years and 75 days, and was named the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2006.

Theo is now a star player for both Arsenal and England and in September 2008 became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for England.

Also by Theo Walcott

T.J. AND THE PENALTY

T.J. AND THE CUP RUN

T.J. AND THE WINNING GOAL

T.J. AND THE HAT-TRICK
AN RHCP DIGITAL EBOOK 978 1 407 07794 9

Published in Great Britain by RHCP Digital,
an imprint of Random House Children’s Publishers UK
A Random House Group Company

This ebook edition published 2012

Copyright © Theo Walcott, 2010
Illustrations copyright © Jerry Paris, 2010

First Published in Great Britain

Corgi Childrens 9780552562454 2010

The right of Theo Walcott to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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