Arsenal striker Theo Walcott and his wife Melanie Slade are expecting their first child

Arsenal striker Theo Walcott and his wife Mel have announced that they are expecting their first child.

The couple said in a statement: 'We are both very excited at such happy news just a few months after getting married. We are really looking forward to becoming parents.'

It is likely Walcott will be in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, which kicks off on June 12, around the time his child is due in the summer.

                   

If selected for the England squad in the World Cup, Walcott will also be required to attend a training camp in Miami early next summer, before then tournament begins.

The 24-year-old England football player married Mel, his childhood sweetheart, in June at Castello di Vincigliata, near Florence in Italy.

 The couple tied the knot following nine years of dating after meeting at the WestQuay shopping centre in Southampton - when he was playing for the seaside town's youth team.

                     

                     

She was billed as 'the new Coleen McLoughlin' by the media when Theo was selected by Sven-Göran Eriksson for the England squad in 2006.

However, Melanie never courted the press and kept a relatively low-profile compared to other WAGS and focused on her career as a sports physiotherapist.

The couple got engaged on New Year's Eve 2012 at their Hertfordshire home

                       

Melanie, who was doing her GCSEs when Theo was selected for the England squad during the 2006 World Cup, admitted it was an emotional day.

She enthused: 'That moment when I saw Theo waiting for me at the altar was so overwhelming. Your emotions are all over the place - you're so excited and euphoric because you're marrying this person who you love so much, but there are some nerves there too because it's such a big step.'

Walcott had the castle location tattooed on his arm as a romantic reminder of their special day.