Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has raved about his teammate Emile Smith Rowe on the club’s official website.
Xhaka has hailed the 20-year-old attacking midfielder for his influence on Arsenal and has praised his attitude.
The Switzerland international midfielder – who cost Arsenal £30 million in transfer fees when they signed him from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2016, as reported by Sky Sports – made the comments after Smith Rowe played his role in the Gunners’ win against Newcastle United in the third round of the FA Cup at the weekend.
The attacking midfielder, who scored the opening goal, was praised by his manager Mikel Arteta and Tottenham Hotspur legend Gary Lineker after the game.
Xhaka told Arsenal’s official website about Smith Rowe: “He’s a lovely guy. He’s a very good guy who wants to improve, he listens to us experienced players a lot and he’s so important to us.
“You can see how many balls he recovers, how many key balls he plays at the front and for the front guys as well, he’s so important. He has to keep going like this to improve day-by-day but he has a good mentality and that’s very important as well.”
Growing in importance
With Mesut Ozil not in the squad and unlikely to play for Arsenal again, Smith Rowe is fast becoming the main creative midfielder for the Gunners.
The attacking midfielder looks very lively on the pitch, makes good decisions, and links up well with his teammates.
According to WhoScored, the 20-year-old has provided two assists in three Premier League matches and has scored one goal and provided two assists in three Europa League games for Arsenal so far this season.
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