Liverpool youth chief Malcolm Elias has revealed how Southampton beat Chelsea to land current Arsenal star Theo Walcott.

Elias paved the way for Walcott, encouraging Southampton to pay a £2,000 "transfer fee" to Swindon. What business that turned out to be. He was Elias's first signing at The Dell, Southampton's old ground, holding off interest from Chelsea, who made him a Stamford Bridge ball boy when they played his favourite team, Liverpool.

Elias told the Daily Mail: "Chelsea thought they had pulled off a masterstroke when they made him ball boy because he wanted to be like Michael Owen.

"They made sure he met him. They thought that would be enough, but I took his father to The Dell and showed him around. They liked what they saw and on the way home they called to say they wanted to sign for Southampton."

Elias, who is now head of recruitment at Liverpool, oversaw the progression of 21 academy players into Southampton's first team.

Walcott was one of them, impressing as a substitute on his debut for the club's youth team against Reading at the Madejski Stadium.

"He was only 15, but the moment he came on he instantly beat four players with his pace and outright control of the ball."