Arsenal transfer news: David Seaman believes Theo Walcott 'should stay' as Gunners prepare to open contract talks

Seaman feels that Walcott would realise just how much he would be leaving if he moved clubs

Theo Walcott (GETTY IMAGES)

David Seaman believes Theo Walcott should stay at Arsenal and sign a new contract as he will realise how good the club is should he choose to move on to pastures new.

Walcott has a deal until the summer of 2016, but reports suggest that the club will open contract negotiations with the England winger within the next two weeks in a bid to tie his long-term future down to the club.

The 26-year-old hasn’t featured regularly for over a year due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament that effectively saw him sidelined for the entirety of 2014, and he has been eased back into first-team action since making his full return at the start of the year.

But speaking to The Independent, former Arsenal goalkeeper Seaman believes that Walcott’s chance will come and both he and fans need to have patience following what was a very serious knee injury.

Seaman left Arsenal in 2003

Asked if Walcott should leave in search of regular football, Seaman said: “No, I think he should stay. When you leave Arsenal, you realise how good a club it is.

“I found out when I went to Manchester City, and other players have said it to me, players who have left Arsenal that have been there a long time. When you leave, you realise how good it is. I know other clubs have now caught up and have got great facilities and everything, but at that time you realise how good it was. In that sense I don’t think Theo should leave.

“He’s been injured, he’s had a really bad injury and it takes a while to come back. There’s no rush, he’s still got time on his side and with that pace, every defender hates someone who’s got that pace, because they can really embarrass defenders. You’ve got to keep hold of that and then coach what you want him to do after that.”

Walcott could be given a chance in Arsenal’s FA Cup semi-final this weekend against Championship side Reading, with the Gunners returning to Wembley having won the their last season as well as the Community Shield at the start of the 2014-15 campaign.

Despite the much-improved form in the Premier League, Seaman still believes that success in the FA Cup is vital in the development of this side. Seaman is campaigning to raise awareness about bowel cancer along with the Bobby Moore Fund, with tomorrow dedicated to Football Shirt Friday in a bid to beat the illness, and he recalled his fondest memory of Moore along with his own experiences on the Wembley pitch.

Former England captain Bobby Moore (Getty Images)

“It’s very important [the FA Cup], it’s silverware,” Seaman explains. “You want to have your team photo with something to show. I was lucky, one season we had all three; we did the double and then we won the Charity Shield.

“I’ve got a photo of that and I have it on my phone and I send it to all my mates and say ‘this is what I used to do!’” he jokes while remembering the glory years Arsenal enjoyed more than a decade ago.

“We’re getting back to where the Champions League was a guarantee. This season we’re now looking at winning the league, only if Chelsea have a slip-up though. But it just shows what we can do. Everything is looking great at the moment, and the FA Cup is a great day out. I used to love it, and I think that’s why it’s so important for the club to win something.”

Moore died in 1993 after a short battle with bowel cancer (Getty Images)

When remembering Moore, Seaman said: “The picture that comes to my mind is when he got lifted up with the World Cup and got put on peoples shoulders. That’s what stayed with me every time I played at Wembley, that England had won the World Cup on the pitch that I was playing on and the stadium I was playing in, and for me that was just fantastic.

“The thought of him lifting that trophy is incredible, it’s one of those moments that it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Bobby Moore holds the World Cup trophy aloft in 1966 (Bellmann/CORBIS)

The ex-goalkeeper went on to reveal how his personal experiences with bowel cancer caused him to get involved with raising awareness and trying to break down the glass wall that appears to stop a number of men from going to the doctor and having themselves checked for the illness.

“I’ve been involved for 15, maybe 20 years now,” he explains. “For me, it came with my mother-in-law, who died from bowel cancer and that’s when I got really involved, and then just totally out of the blue my dad got it. Touch wood, he’s six years all clear and he caught it early and they got rid of it and he’s fine, but that’s the message: catch it early when it’s curable.

“For men, to talk about their backsides and whatnot is taboo, but it shouldn’t be because you realise what happens when you don’t have a check-up or do anything when you may have a problem down there. Get it checked up, because if you don’t, it can get serious.”

Football Shirt Friday follows Moore and Pele exchanging shirts

Wear your football shirt on April the 17th for Football Shirt Friday and raise funds for the Bobby Moore Fund to help beat bowel cancer sooner. For more info visit footballshirtfriday.org or text GOAL003 to 70070 to donate £3. Full T&Cs: http://bit.ly/JGVTC