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LONDON. — Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has backed teammate Theo Walcott to succeed as an out-and-out striker for the English Premier League soccer club, and for England.

Played as a winger throughout his career, the 26-year-old Walcott has made it known that he is keen to follow in the footsteps of Arsenal’s record goal-scorer Thierry Henry and make the shift to centre-forward.

He got his chance up front in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United, but missed two glorious chances before being replaced in the 70th minute.

“I think Theo has been ready for a number of years to play there. He’s someone I look up to and admire as a person and a player,” Oxlade-Chamberlain said.

“His form for club and country in his long career proves why he’s ready, his goal scoring record proves why he is ready to play up front.

“He is a great player and poses different threats than other strikers with his ability to run in behind. I have no doubt Theo can play up front — or in midfield as well,” the midfielder added.

Roy Hodgson’s England go to San Marino today for their Euro 16 Group E match and a victory will see them advance to the European Championship 2016 in France.

Meanwhile, Oxlade-Chamberlain says he struggled with “the simplest of tasks” and has been in agony for two years, following his injury woes.

The Arsenal and England ace revealed that his knee problem, suffered against Aston Villa on the opening day of the 2013-14 season, has left him in ‘so much pain’ ever since.

The 22-year-old has said that throughout last season he even found it near impossible to get out of bed or off the sofa.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored the winner against Chelsea in the Community Shield last month, has featured in every game for the Gunners this term.

And he claims to now be completely fit but has undergone a complete rethink of his training routine in a bid to regain his full strength and confidence.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, currently away on England duty, said: “It’s all been a chain reaction from that injury against Villa, just being out for five or six months for the first time in your life.

“I’ve never been out, not playing and not running around for that long — [with] your knee in a brace, your balance can shift, start loading more one side than the other, and that’s when the muscle problems keep creeping in.

“Until then, I would come to training half an hour before we started, sit on my phone, have a laugh with the lads, throw my boots on and smash balls around!

“After I did my knee, I would get in an hour early [and] do a full hour preparation to go and train. That was something new. Then it ended up in my groins from the compensation.

“I struggled with that for a large part of last season. There were times when I tried to get up from the bed, or from sitting on the sofa and I was in so much pain.

“But then I would [be able to] play 90 minutes, and I couldn’t get round it in my head that I was struggling with the simplest of tasks but was still playing games.” — Reuters.