Theo - Injury will make me even stronger

Theo Walcott is adamant he will come back from his long-term knee injury as a “better… and stronger person”.

The forward ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee during Arsenal’s FA Cup third-round victory against Tottenham Hotspur on January 4.

The injury ruled Walcott out of the rest of the campaign and this summer’s World Cup in Brazil, but the England international is determined to stay positive.

“I know this will make me into a better person, a stronger person,” he said. “I don’t want to look at [what happens in] six months time, I want to look at 10 to 15 years when I’m still playing.

“I don’t want to push the injury [now] and not be 100 per cent and then cause other injuries. My main concern is to take things week by week and try not to put a timespan on it.

“I came out of the brace on Tuesday and the crutches are gone, so I am starting to get the walking movement back now. It is amazing because you tend to forget how to walk, it is a bit crazy! It is the only time people will be able to beat me for walking or running!

“It was a nice moment [to come out of the brace]. When you go to the consultant you don’t know what to expect as this is all new to me, but it was great news. The last two days have been good days, I have been walking a bit easier. It’s nearly there now.

“There are always people worse off than you and there’s no point being negative about it. You want to be positive coming in every day, because the time will go quicker.”

Walcott has been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of supportive messages he has received from people across the globe.

“I have had so much support from across the world, it has been amazing,” he said. “I have had tens of thousands of messages and they have overwhelmed me at times and kept me going.

“It is amazing to see how much support I’ve got. I appreciate every single word and message that I have received.”