Emile Smith Rowe reveals how Arteta has boosted Arsenal morale as he targets injury comeback

 

The Hale Ender sat down during the launch party for Arsenal's new away kit to talk through the highs and lows of his first full senior season, meeting more fans after COVID, going to the World Cup and how Mikel Arteta has looked to boost team spirit in the Gunners camp

It's almost a year to the day since Emile Smith Rowe signed his much-anticipated contract extension with Arsenal. With it came the club's famous No. 10 shirt and a ringing endorsement of his promotion to first-team status within the Gunners dressing room.

Despite having ended the season as Arsenal's second highest scorer and becoming the proud owner of one half of one of the Emirates Stadium's catchiest chants, the ups of the past 12 months have been complimented by their fair share of downs for Smith Rowe.

Despite being just over a week away from his 22nd birthday, Smith Rowe has already had his fair share of time on the treatment table. His loan spell with RB Leipzig was blighted by a hip injury that saw him miss a year of football, while his breakthrough season with Arsenal was delayed by a dislocated shoulder that sidelined him for three months. This experience, though, is something the Hale Ender believes has taught him the ability to value what he holds most dear.

No, not really," he says when asked if he struggles with the psychological aspects of injuries. "Obviously I have good people around me – my family – they always keep me happy and I just like to spend time with them when I do go through these hard times.

"So it’s not really the mind, I’m quite strong in the head so I never really let the injuries get to me. It’s just annoying I can’t be with my team-mates. I think that’s the hardest bit for me – just not being around them every day, training away from them."

"If there’s football on TV, I always want to watch it, no matter what game," he says of how he likes to spend his time when he is on the sidelines. "But at the same time, when I leave the training ground, I try to not think about football too much. I think about other things that I like doing – spending time with family, my friends, going out for dinner – healthy dinner! – spending quality time with my people. I don’t get a lot of time to do that."