Theo Walcott has finally committed his future to Arsenal, after he put pen to paper on a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Arsenal, worth £100,000 a week.

“Arsenal Football Club is delighted to announce that Theo Walcott has signed a new long-term contract,” a club statement on the official site read. “The 23-year-old forward has already made 244 first team appearances since joining Arsenal from Southampton in January 2006, during which time he has scored 56 goals.

“Walcott has also established himself as a regular England international during his time with Arsenal. Having signed for the Club at the age of 16 from Southampton, Theo soon won a call-up to England’s 2006 World Cup squad. Later that year, he became the country’s youngest-ever full international at 17 years and 75 days when he faced Hungary. Walcott currently has 30 international caps.

“The lightning-fast forward is enjoying another good season and is currently Arsenal’s leading goalscorer with 14 goals in all competitions. This tally includes two hat tricks – at Reading in the 7-5 Capital One Cup victory and also against Newcastle United in the 7-3 Premier League victory at Emirates Stadium.”

Talks had stalled since last August, after the forward rejected a five-year offer worth £75,000 a week. Arsene Wenger reacted by putting the England international on the bench, but eventually yielded to the 23-year-old’s demands, after his sparkling form – Walcott is Arsenal’s top scorer with 14 goals.

“We are all delighted that Theo has signed a new contract. He joined us as a 16-year-old and since then has developed very well to become an extremely important player for both Arsenal Football Club and England,” Wenger said.

“Theo is a strong player and also a great person, and the combination of his ability and pace always make him such a valuable asset either from the flanks or down the middle. Theo’s contract extension now gives us a strong nucleus of ambitious young players who have committed to the Club and want to be successful with us as a group.”

Walcott himself, who would have been free to leave in the summer, was delighted to pen the much improved deal.

“I am very happy to have signed a new contract here at Arsenal. Thanks to everyone for their continued support, especially the manager, everyone at the club and most importantly the fans. I have made it clear from the start that I wanted to stay at Arsenal so I am pleased we have agreed a deal that everyone is happy with. What’s important now is for the team to realise its potential and win trophies,” he said.

 

MTV Base has revealed the names of the three talented newcomers battling it out for fame and fortune in the MTV Base VJ Search competition.

Going head-to-head in the last stage of the channel’s search for a new MTV Base VJ, are 26 year old Ada Ogunkeya (@Folustorms), 25 year old Ehizojia Okoeguale (@SpecialSlim) and 22 year old Kemi Owatemi (@SsmallzZ).

The ultimate victor will win a contract with MTV Base worth 10 million naira plus a brand new car and other exciting prizes.

Lagos born Ada is an on-air personality at 92.3 Inspiration radio. A self-confessed “life enthusiast”, Ada’s Twitter page describes her as an “opinionated, impulsive giggle-bot, knowledge fiend, natural hair lover, dancer, and all round dude”. According to Ada, ‘I feel like I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life – it feels right!”

Smart and witty Kemi (Dahlia to her friends) loves dancehall music and Rihanna in equal measure. The personal motto of this young novel-loving Capricorn is “Happiness is Key”, and she describes her personal style as “more denim than silk”.

Happy-go-lucky jobseeker and computer electronics graduate Ehiz, a.k.a “Special Slim”, is always the life and soul of the party. With a personal mantra that states “Be the best you can be because at the end of the day you can only answer for yourself”, old-skool funk fan Ehiz numbers Fela Kuti, Born Jamericans and LL Cool J among his favourite artists – and loves the colour red because it represents both love and danger!

Ada, Ehiz and Kemi were hand-picked by judges Banky W (@BankyW), Toolz (@ToolzO), Funke Akindele (@funkeakindele) and Tim Horwood (@timohorwood) after competing against thousands of applicants in the MTV Base VJ Search – Nigeria auditions in December. The winner will join Sizwe Dhlomo and Nomuzi Mabena on MTV Base’s in-house talent roster, presenting their own chart show on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322, STV & AIT).

The winner in the MTV Base VJ Search – Nigeria competition will be selected by the judges during the Grand Final in Lagos, on 25 January and revealed on MTV Base on Tuesday 29 January. MTV Base VJ Cynthia C-Von Okpala and MTV’s newest South Africa VJ, Nomuzi Mabena, will share emcee-ing duties at the gig, while celebrity artists Iyanya, Ice Prince and Burna Boy will be helping the 3 finalists to complete their final challenges.

You’ll be able to see Ada, Ehiz and Kemi showing off their stuff in the next two episodes of the MTV Base VJ Search – Nigeria, on MTV Base, DStv Channel 322 at 18:30 WAT on 22 & 29 January and on STV at 18:00 WAT on 24 & 31 January.