Emile Smith-Rowe told Sky Sports that he has been ‘unfortunate’ with injuries at Arsenal but he wants to show and ‘repay’ Mikel Arteta for the faith he has shown in him.
Whilst a lot of talk has been around Mesut Ozil and his departure from Arsenal, a certain academy product has been thriving on the Emirates stage.
Smith-Rowe assisted once again in an Arsenal shirt, as Arteta’s rejuvenated young guns put three points on the board following their win against Newcastle on Monday.
Smith-Rowe shared that he is trying to prove his worth to Arteta and how his loan spells have helped him along the way.
“I think I have been a bit unfortunate with injuries,” said Smith-Rowe. “But the manager has given me a chance and I am so grateful.
“I just hope to repay him. Every opportunity I am getting, I just want to show him that I am good enough to be in this team.
“That has been massive [my loan spells]. I have been abroad. I have been in the Championship and I feel like it has developed me so much, on and off the pitch.
“I feel like I have grown into a stronger and more confident person, so I think they have definitely helped me in my journey.”
There has been a lot of talk about Arsenal needing that creative spark from the transfer market to take them to the next level.
But perhaps the better option would be to stick with Smith-Rowe and help develop his game.
Chelsea spent big money on players during the summer, who a lot of top Premier League clubs would have wanted in their team, but they don’t look any different talent and performance-wise to Smith-Rowe, so perhaps the answers are within rather than outside.
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