Walcott joins Everton to close curtain on 12-year stay at Arsenal

The prospect of increased playing time was apparently too hard to pass up as Theo Walcott ended his 12-year stay at Arsenal on Wednesday by joining rival Everton.

Walcott was pictured earlier in the day at Everton's training ground, Finch Farm, where he underwent a medical before signing a three-and-a-half-year contract until 2021 with the Merseyside outfit. He'll reportedly be paid £100,000 a week, according to Matt Law of the Telegraph.

"I've come to Everton because I want the club to push to the next level," Walcott said. "And with the players that have come in, I feel like the next level can be reached.

"I'm very excited to be starting a new chapter and I felt this was the right place for me to be."

Terms of the agreement between the Premier League rivals were not released, but, according to James Olley of the Evening Standard, Arsenal agreed to an initial fee of £20 million that could rise to £25 million once add-ons are taken into account.

The 28-year-old becomes Everton's second signing of the winter transfer period following Cenk Tosun's move to Goodision Park from Besiktas for a reported £27-million fee.

It's believed Arsene Wenger was reluctant to approve the sale of Walcott - whom the Arsenal manager signed as a 16-year-old in 2006 - but the Frenchman, according to Matt Law of The Telegraph, sanctioned the transfer as a gesture of gratitude for the winger's longtime commitment to Arsenal.

Walcott added: "It felt like it was time for me to move on (from Arsenal). It was sad but it's exciting at the same time and I want to reignite my career and push Everton to win things as they have done before.

"I want to be part of something and I feel like this place will offer me that."

Although Walcott had not spoken publicly about his perceived unrest while playing just 63 minutes over six Premier League appearances as a substitute this season, the temptation of an increased role at Everton was likely too great to ignore as he attempts to boost his chances of being named to Gareth Southgate's England squad ahead of the World Cup this summer.

Arsenal was in the midst of a transitional period that saw the departures of several club legends - including Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira - back when Walcott made the switch from Southampton, and the club reportedly attempted to reunite with him this month before losing out to Everton.

The weight of continuing the winning tradition that dominated the previous era at Arsenal was quickly placed on the teenager's shoulders, and the intense focus of an entire nation quickly overshadowed Walcott's move to north London when he was a shock inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson's England squad for the 2006 World Cup

The pacy forward regularly showed glimpses of matching the potential so many expected from him at Arsenal, but always seemed to fall short of the lofty - and somewhat unrealistic - expectations he faced from a young age. Injuries were also a constant nuisance that seemed to occur just when Walcott appeared to find a level of comfort.

Perhaps one of the lasting images that Arsenal fans will remember fondly - despite the subsequent consequences - occurred when Walcott reflected the 2-0 scoreline with a hand gesture as he was being verbally abused by Tottenham fans while being stretchered off the pitch at White Hart Lane in 2014. However, the injury spelled the end of his season and forced him to miss a big portion of the next campaign, as Walcott would struggle to duplicate the strong performances he put together during 2013-14 before going down.

Walcott, who was the club's longest-serving player before Wednesday's transfer, ends his Arsenal career with close to 400 appearances in all competitions and 108 goals, as well as a pair of FA Cup trophies.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)