JUST before his retirement was announced, professional footballer Theo Walcott and his family were spotted visiting a hotel in this area. 

The 34-year-old former England forward enjoyed club-level spells at Arsenal, Everton and Southampton twice and was even a youth player at Swindon Town at one point in his career. 

After being recently spotted at The Highworth Hotel in Highworth, many town fans hoped the free agent might be considering a season or two with the Reds. 

But the swift striker dashed those hopes with a lengthy retirement announcement on his Instagram page calling time on a fantastic career.

He said: "The first moment I put my football boots on aged 10, was the start of a special journey for me.

"From playing in the park with friends to performing in some of the biggest stadiums, in front of huge crowds across the world.

"The support shown to me throughout this time has been incredible in every way imaginable and I am truly grateful."

He went on to thank several people, including former coaches Harry Redknapp and Arsene Wenger and reminisced about his time playing in the Premier League. 

He concluded by saying: "I’m lucky enough to have had offers to continue playing, but it feels right to finish where I started and hang up my football boots.

"Thank you to everyone who has been with me along the way."