Gary Neville has stated that Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe needs to follow the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah by wanting to be the best ‘every single game’, as he told Sky Sports.
The TV pundit claimed that Smith Rowe is a ‘beautiful footballer’, but even at the age of 21, Ronaldo ‘wasn’t as clinical and ruthless’.
There’s no doubting that, as Ronaldo comes towards the end of his career, his legacy has already been written and he is regarded as one of the greatest to have ever graced the pitch.
But, at one point, he was an erratic winger, with too many tricks in the book, before moulding himself into a goalscoring machine that is deadly as he is as calm in front of goal.
Neville touched upon Smith Rowe and how someone like Ronaldo is an example to him going forward.
“I think you can say these things (wanting to be the best in the world re Salah and Ronaldo comments) when you are delivering,” said Neville. “These two have delivered now consistently.
“Ronaldo now for 10-15 years and Mo Salah for 5-6 years, and beyond. They are absolutely deadly. They are ruthless and clinical.
“Everything that Smith Rowe, he’s a beautiful footballer Smith Rowe, and he’s got a long way to go in his career. Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t as clinical and ruthless at that age.
“But that’s where he has got to get to. To the point where every single game, they want to be the best. They want to score the winner. They believe they are going to score the winner. Confidence is unbelievable.”
It is crazy to think that this time last season, Smith Rowe was just about breaking into Arsenal’s side.
Mikel Arteta went down the road of leaving Mesut Ozil well and truly out of his first-team plans and out of the squad.
That meant that the Gunners lacked that creative spark, one-touch footballer and expert ball-carrier to knit the team together.
Well, Smith Rowe, who didn’t exactly light up the Championship during his loan spell at Huddersfield Town, stepped up and showcased his worth.
And now he is one of the first names on the teamsheet, which is a credit to the player, his manager and the coaching staff.
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