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Theo Walcott is in the form of his life after taking striker lessons from Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.

Walcott puts his blistering Arsenal form - including four goals in his last seven matches - down to tips from Henry, who is around the club again after returning from Major League Soccer to work as a Sky TV pundit.

Manager Arsene Wenger has also told him to be a nastier player and take inspiration from teammate Alexis Sanchez.

In-form Walcott said: “Having Thierry at the club now, I have been chatting to him on a personal level behind the scenes to learn things from him.

“He’s with the under-18s and, at times, I think some of them don’t even know who he is! I’ve had quite a few words with him about some of the games I’ve played.

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“He has just given me his analysis on myself and, if I’ve needed to ask him some questions about it, he’s always there. That’s what coaches are there for.

"I think, sometimes, you see this generation of players, they’re actually scared to go up to coaches and ask something.

“Going back to the question about when it clicked about going up front, that was one of the things Arsene wanted me to do – to be more aggressive on the pitch.

"And maybe he’s sensed that I’ve had more aggression.

(Image: Clive Rose)

“I actually said, ‘Do you want me to get stuck into people?’ That was my reaction. He said, ‘No, I’m not saying that’. He wanted me to be more aggressive, in terms of running at players, closing them down, tracking back, being there and in their faces.

“When I first saw Alexis Sanchez join the club, I thought, ‘Wow, yeah, this is a big statement’. Then, actually seeing in the flesh what he does – you see a winner there.

“He wants to win and he wants to achieve things. And, with that work-rate, if he can do it, then why can’t I do it?

"Maybe that was missing a few years ago. Now, I’ve really thought, ‘I need to step up’ and players like that help.”