- Impressed since senior breakthrough
- Fitness struggles have held him back
- Still part of Arteta's long-term plans
WHAT HAPPENED? The 22-year-old playmaker is a product of the Gunners’ famed academy system and has taken in 96 senior appearances for the club – doing enough to inherit the No.10 shirt that has previously been donned by the likes Dennis Bergkamp, Robin van Persie and Mesut Ozil. Injuries did, however, restrict him to just 14 outings last season and no Premier League starts under Mikel Arteta. There has been talk of the England international moving on, as Arsenal freshen up their ranks, but Smith Rowe is determined to fight for his future in north London.
WHAT THEY SAID: Smith Rowe has told The Times: “I just want to be on the pitch. This was the hardest season of my career. It was tough [not playing], but we were in a title race and I understand the manager isn’t going to change the team if we’re winning every game. I just tried to stay positive and train as well as I could. The other players and Mikel were great with me, kept me feeling connected. But it was tough, a long season. I won’t lie. Arsenal are my club and I’m not going to give up until [Arteta] says he doesn’t want me. But that’s not the case. He wants me as part of the team and I want to fight for my place and get back in the team.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: While Smith Rowe spent more time than he would have liked watching on from the sidelines in 2022-23, he has seen enough to suggest that Arsenal can launch another Premier League title challenge next season. He added: “I think with the team we’ve got, it’s definitely possible [to win the Premier League]. This season, it just got nicked at the end and you can’t really argue with Man City, but knowing we managed to go so far in the season top of the league shows the character and belief we have as a young team. I think this year was just the start for us and next season we can do even better.”
IN TWO PHOTOS:
Next Match
WHAT NEXT? Smith Rowe is currently away on international duty with the England U21 squad, with the Young Lions preparing to open their quest for European Championship glory against the Czech Republic on Thursday.