Veteran Southampton forward Theo Walcott is hoping to make his first appearance of the new Premier League season when his Southampton side welcome former team Everton to the St. Mary’s Stadium this weekend. Theo Walcott and his Southampton teammates are hoping to bounce back from two successive Premier League losses ahead of the visit of the Toffees.

Theo Walcott returned to Southampton from Everton on loan at the start of the 2020/21 season before his move was made permanent by the Saints at the start of last season. The attacker spent the final year of his contract with Everton as a loanee at Southampton thus paving the way for him to join them permanently as a free agent last summer. The England international started his professional career with Southampton before his transfer to North London side Arsenal as a teenager in 2006. At the time, Walcott was the most expensive teenager. After 12 years in North London, Everton paid around £20m to sign him.

Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl turned to youths in his quest to meet the target set by the club thus leaving older players such as Walcott with little playing times. He began to use the younger players more than the older ones last season. The Southampton manager talked about leaning on the younger players to get results in one of his press conferences at the start of this year.

At the moment, Hassenhuttl is under a little pressure ahead of the Everton game on Saturday after two straight defeats against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa in the Premier League and four defeats in seven Premier League games this season. The Saints have picked up just seven points from those seven games. They have dropped into the second half of the Premier League log after the two losses against Wolves and Villa in their last two outings.