Arsenal and England midfielder Theo Walcott confirmed he is often mistaken for Formula 1’s driver Lewis Hamilton.

Speaking to Arsenal TV Online, the 22-year old joked how he was twice mistaken for his compatriot, first by someone who didn’t even realise he had the Arsenal man in front of him and then by someone who luckily understood he was not facing the McLaren star.

Winner of the 2008 Formula 1 Championship, Hamilton is a big Arsenal fan and confessed that if Formula One had not worked for him he would have been a footballer.

Walcott also explained how fans want to remember him the day he decides to call it a day as he joked that it would be nice if he is remembered as the quickest footballer to play for the Gunners and also – on a more serious note – as a nice guy who stayed out of trouble hence never on the front page of newspapers.

A relaxed-looking Walcott told Arsenal TV Online:

I was in my car and someone came to me and said, “You were unlucky in the race the other day” and I was like, “What?”, then he came back and said, “I’m so sorry, I thought you were Lewis Hamilton”. He went off, he didn’t think I was Theo Walcott so it was quite cool.

And someone else, the other day, a couple of weeks ago, someone asked me, “Lewis, can I have your autograph?” and I told him, “I’m not Lewis, mate”. Then he looked at me and said, “Oh, you’re Theo Walcott!”.

[How I want fans to remember me when I retire?] Just the player who was the quickest on the planet.

That, and one who gets the fans out of their seat, who entertains them by scoring goals. That’s what I want to be remembered for, and the nice guy I am hopefully, staying away from front pages of newspapers.