Theo would assume Thierry’s mantle, I can only assume that the young Englishman approached Arsenal higher-ups and specifically requested the revered shirt. I assume this because I can’t imagine the Club forcing such a legend onto on so young

So much going on in the world of Arsenal these last few weeks. The Nasri saga has rumbled painfully on. Alex Hleb has gone deathly quiet about his future, but his mate Adebayor can’t keep his mouth shut and with every interview seems to confuse himself and us even more.

For me, the above is all hot air. Nasri’s protracted transfer has bored me to death to the point where I’m not even excited about his arrival anymore. With Mourinho taking the reins at Inter, it was obvious that he wouldn’t have any time for a “luxury” player like Hleb. So Hleb’s only remaining port of call looked like being Barca. But with the revelation that flavour of the month Andrei Arshavin had his heart set on a move to Catalonia, it looks like Hleb (or shall I call him Arshavin Lite?) has once again been shafted. As for Ade…one minute he is declaring his love for Arsenal and Arsene and saying that money doesn’t matter, the next he is saying that he needs to plan for his retirement blah blah blah. Whatever Trevor. All I say is: if they wanna go, let them go. We are The Arsenal, our motto is Victory Through Harmony, and anyone who disrupts the harmony should be shown the door, simple as. We won’t miss them as much as they’ll miss us: no individual is bigger than the Club.

With the plethora of stories concerning the above characters dominating NewsNow last week, one thing really stood out and grabbed my attention. Early last week the squad numbers were announced. No great surprises: Manuel took the no.1 jersey from the departing Jens, while new signings Vela and Ramsey assumed the no.12 and no.16 shirts respectively – a sure sign of the part they will play this season. Numbers remained vacant too: the no.8 shirt which has seemingly been reserved for Nasri, and of course Thierry Henry’s old no.14.

So Friday afternoon rolled around. It was a busier than usual Friday afternoon for me at work and I hadn’t got a chance to check NewsNow to read about Ade/Hleb/Nasri’s latest shenanigans. Then my phone beeped, and it was a message from my mate Dschin: “Guess who our new no.14 is?” Initially I thought Nasri had FINALLY signed on and was to continue the Gallic tradition of the shirt. So when it flashed before my eyes that “Theo Walcott will wear the number 14 from next season”, it brought a big smile to my face.

Why? Well in the time between the original squad numbers were announced on Monday and Friday’s revelation that Theo would assume Thierry’s mantle, I can only assume that the young Englishman approached Arsenal higher-ups and specifically requested the revered shirt. I assume this because I can’t imagine the Club forcing such a legend onto on so young and one who has been universally compared to its previous owner. The fact that Theo has – in all likelihood – DEMANDED the shirt is a fantastic sign of the boy’s growing confidence.

In the latter part of the season he really stepped up to the plate – and his maturity was encapsulated in that one glorious moment at Anfield. There was never any doubt that he had the pace and dribbling skills to pull of such a run; for me the key was the coolness of his pass to Ade. It would’ve been so easy for him to get carried away and shoot for goal himself, but he had the maturity and wherewithal to find a better-placed teammate. A bit like the ol’ boy Thierry himself, wouldn’t you say?

There’s a great story that after he opened his account for us against the Chavs in the Carling Cup final defeat in 2007, Thierry signed his shirt with the words: “1 down, 225 to go” (in reference to his own goalscoring record of 226 goals for the Club). Now I’m not suggesting that Theo is a dead-cert to break the great man’s tally – hell, he may even develop into a fully-fledged winger rather than a central striker – but I personally am looking forward to seeing the lad begin his quest in earnest this season. By taking on Henry’s shirt, it shows a deep-seated self-belief that he can live up to his idol’s high standards. Cesc has made Vieira’s no.4 shirt his own, so who’s to say that Theo can’t do the same with the no.14?

Mercifully, Theo has had the summer off so should be able to partake in a full pre-season, starting at Barnet. I will be in attendance that day and can’t wait to raise the rafters when the tannoy announces Arsenal’s number 14, Theo Walcott.