Theo Julienne spoke to us recently, and here’s what he had to say about his footballing upbringing, taking a year off and looking up to Martin Odegaard.
I grew up in west London, near Ruislip, and football has always been a big part of my life. My dad and brother both played, so I naturally followed in their footsteps. From the age of three, I was out in the garden kicking a ball with my brother, and I loved every minute of it. My dad played semi-pro, and my brother played locally, so I constantly tagged along and soaked it all in.
I was a Liverpool fan growing up. Steven Gerrard was my biggest inspiration – his leadership, skill, and drive were qualities I admired and wanted to replicate. More recently, Trent Alexander-Arnold is someone I look up to. His story resonates with me because, like him, I started as a midfielder but have transitioned to playing as a right back at times. I’d love to incorporate some of his game into my own style.
The first team I played for was Wealdstone, a local club that’s now in the National League. Back then, they were a much smaller side, but it’s amazing to see how far they’ve come. At nine, I joined Watford and played there for two years. However, I hit a point where I wasn’t enjoying football as much – it started to feel like a chore rather than something I loved. So, I decided to take a year off to recharge and rediscover my passion.
During that time, I explored other sports and played for fun at school, which helped me fall back in love with the game. Eventually, I returned to playing locally, and it all came together when we won a big tournament with lots of scouts watching. That’s when Arsenal took notice.
My trial with Arsenal happened during the Covid era, which made it quite challenging. After two weeks of training, we went into a long lockdown, and it was months before I could play again. But four weeks after we returned, I got the call – I was officially joining the under-13s. It was such a relief and an exciting opportunity. The group I joined was fantastic, and many of the same players are still here today. We’ve grown and developed together, which has been amazing.
