The 19 year-old giant Emile Smith Rowe was very impressive when given a few chances in the Arsenal first team early next season, and was sent out on loan to Huddersfield Town after the Gunners were eliminated from the League Cup and the Europa League.
Since then he has made 10 appearances for the Terriers under Danny Cowley, and is looking forward to helping them to survival in the Championship when it resumes next week. He has been talking to The National about his time on loan in the lower league. “It is very physical,” he said. “It was definitely a surprise to me when I first came. We played Brentford in my first game. I found it really tough and it is a physical league but at the same time there are still a lot of technical players.”
At 6feet tall, he is learning to mix it with the big boys, but he is keen to make his mark in the No 10 role like Mesut Ozil, and many other Arsenal legends. “I like to be versatile and I can also play in other positions,” he continued. “But I probably would say I do enjoy playing in the No. 10 position the most.”
“At Arsenal, I look up to Mesut Ozil a lot,” he said. “I watch him in training and the movement he has and the little touches he does. For me to train with him every day, I can’t think of anything better.”
“My dream was always to play for Arsenal,”
“I used to watch Thierry Henry a lot. Dennis Bergkamp was definitely a player I always looked up to. We play in a similar position. Freddie Ljungberg was there and he is working at Arsenal now, helping all the young players.”
“In that era when [Lionel] Messi, [Andres] Iniesta and Xavi were in the Barcelona team, I used to watch almost every game with my dad. Since Kevin de Bruyne joined [Manchester] City, I like to base my game around him. I look up to him so much. I just like the way he plays and everything he does.”
Well, he has certainly named a lot of people that he looks up to, and if he can become half the player of any of them he will become a massive asset for the Gunners. Considering he is still not 20, he is certainly on the right trajectory…
