Mikel Arteta says Emile Smith Rowe has returned to pre-season for Arsenal transformed after helping England’s U21s win the European Championships this summer.
The Arsenal boss acknowledged that Emile Smith Rowe found life ‘tough’ and ‘difficult’ last season, even though for large parts, it was a very good campaign for his own team.
But Smith Rowe was injured for parts of the campaign, before Mikel Arteta hardly used him post-January, but he has now shared that there is a sense of ‘energy’ to the playmaker’s game in pre-season, as he told his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal v Barcelona.
That was probably needed for the 22-year-old because, for over 12 months, he has lost those regular minutes, form and spark to his game.
Heading into the 2023 summer transfer window, there was talk of his future at the Emirates – the likes of David Moyes’ West Ham United were interested.
But it seems as though the £40k-a-week (Spotrac) star is going to stay put and winning a trophy with his country seems to have done him the world of good, according to Arteta.
“Really good,” responded Arteta on Smith Rowe winning U21 Euros with England. “We are all really happy because we know that it has been a tough season for him.
“He has had a lot of difficulties to overcome. He had the opportunity to play with England, at the end. He put a lot of effort to get to that competition in the best possible condition.
“We were all very happy to see him lift that trophy. You can see, it produced something different. His energy and the way he has come back. He is in a really good place and it’s great to see him back with us.”
Smith Rowe has goals from midfield
A fit and firing Smith Rowe can hit double figures from the middle of the park for Arsenal, with the Englishman hitting ten goals two seasons ago.
If he can get regular starts, or at the very least, minutes from the bench, then there is every chance that he can hit those numbers again, plus more.
It needs to be remembered, that for the second half of last season, he was on the bench, it was just a case of Arteta not using him.
But that is now probably down to a lack of form, confidence and even real match sharpness and bite, which he hasn’t had for a long while.
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