THEO WALCOTT EXCLUSIVE

FIRST it was his Arsenal team-mate Nicklas Bendtner stumbling out of a nightclub with his trousers around his ankles.

That was quickly followed by England colleague Ledley King's arrest for assault in the early hours of the morning after a big night out.

Then fellow Premier League ace Roman Bednar was captured on the front page of the News of the World buying drugs.

Theo Walcott, 20, has seen the shocking photos and footage that shamed the English game this month but still could have dodged the issue, turned a blind eye like so many others.

Not Walcott. He's different, he's dedicated and he's brave enough to condemn their scandalous conduct.

Asked about the trio's recent escapades, he said: "Yeah, I saw those photos. They were not good. You can't been seen doing any of that. They should respect themselves, respect the sport.

"That sort of behaviour could encourage a young kid to copy them one day, thinking it is OK to go out and do what they have done. But it's not.

"We're talking about the next generation of our sport receiving all the wrong signals - and at a time when we've just launched our bid to stage the 2018 World Cup."

It's unlikely you'll ever see Walcott in such a sorry state. He has a reputation as a model pro and he's proud of it.

He explained: "No, I never go to nightclubs but I do drink alcohol occasionally although only to be polite. I think it's OK as long as you are sensible.

THREE-MENDOUS - Theo Walcott celebrates his World Cup qualifier hat-trick against Croatia

"You can go out and have fun, but you have to be careful. You have to be responsible. I certainly wouldn't get wasted out of my head."

Although it's alien to him, Walcott still tries hard to comprehend how some fellow footballers fall victim to the temptations of being a big star.

SHAME - Roman Bednar

He said: "There's a lot of pressure as a role model but it's part of the life of being a footballer. But I realise that everyone comes through differently.

"Some players are from rough backgrounds and inner city areas, others come from abroad - they've had different upbringings.

"I have been lucky. I have a good family and was raised in a quiet village and from the age of 10 I was focused on what I wanted to be and what I needed to do."

But surely the young Theo got in a scrape or two of his own?

"What's the worst thing I've ever done? I got in trouble once at school when some kid took our football off us. There was an argument and suddenly he had me in a head lock.

"But I broke free and punched him in the nose and there he was, all bleeding. As a punishment I was made to stand by the wall for 10 minutes.

SHAME - Ledley King is helped out of a nightclub

"And once - and I've never admitted this to anyone before - when I was at Southampton I was going on the train to Reading with another player, Jake Thompson. We were 16 at the time but we said we were 15 to get kids' tickets.

"We thought we were being clever by buying the tickets on one side of the station and then crossing to the other side of station to get the train.

"But we got caught and I was scared that we'd be prosecuted for fraud or something and all to wriggle out of paying an extra £2.50!

"Luckily they let us off but it was a big lesson for me. I realised there and then I wasn't any good at being bad."

Nice guy Walcott admits he can get tetchy sometimes, though, like when he was hassled by hordes of autograph hunters and fans at a supermarket or in a restaurant.

He said: "I'd gone to see my girlfriend Mel in Wimbledon and I went to the local Sainsbury's. I got bothered and pestered so much that I got very annoyed.

"And there have been times when we've been out having a private meal and someone pokes their head around the corner and asks you for your autograph - and then asks you to provide the pen and paper!

"But when I spoke to Mel about it she calmed me down, she said these people were thrilled to see me and that I'd put a smile on their faces and so I ended up feeling bad about it. I thought it must be far worse for people like David Beckham and Peter Andre."

He was almost lost for words, though, by over-the-top approaches from fans after his hat-trick heroics for England in the World Cup qualifier against Croatia at Wembley.

"Can you believe one guy came up to me and aked for my England shirt and another asked me for my boots! Unbelievable. I mean what's that about? What are those people thinking? How much front can you have?

Behave

"I could never behave like that. For instance, the other day I was standing behind Sir Paul McCartney in Selfridge's, I promise you it was definitely him, and I really wanted to say something but I didn't, I couldn't. I left him alone.

"And when I was a youngster I was a ball boy at Chelsea. I am a Liverpool fan and so is my dad and I got to see Michael Owen and Titi Camara but I was just star struck, again I didn't say anything."

Walcott's fame means he is now a marked man wherever he goes, even in the United States.

He laughed: "Yeah, I went to New York and thought I wouldn't get any attention out there. But when I went into the first shop the woman who served me was from England and was a massive Arsenal fan and so was her husband.

"Then another guy came up to me and said 'Hey Theo!' and we high-fived and he just walked off. That was great, really cool."

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