Emile Smith Rowe says he feels like a new man, ready “just to go for it” and not worry about things going wrong, as he reflected on his return to the Arsenal starting lineup in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup win at Brentford.
The 23-year-old previously began a game for his club on 16 May 2022 in the Premier League defeat at Newcastle, representing a gap of 499 days, and it has been a testing period for him, to put it mildly.
Smith Rowe’s season last time out for Arsenal was frustrating, especially after his rise to prominence that was ignited by his performance in the Boxing Day 2020 victory over Chelsea; he earned three England caps along the way.
The midfielder underwent surgery to repair a longstanding groin problem last September, which kept him out for four months, and he suffered a setback almost immediately that sidelined him for a further six weeks. He was restricted to eight substitute appearances for Arsenal over the remainder of the season, although he did play an important role for the England Under-21s in their European Championship triumph of the summer.
Mikel Arteta used Smith Rowe as the right-sided No 8 in his 4-3-3 system at Brentford in the player’s 100th Arsenal appearance. Smith Rowe has spoken in the past of how badly he suffers from pre-match nerves and says he has worked to overcome them. After a night of emotion, it was easy to hear the relief in his voice.
“I have changed a bit of my mentality … just to go for it,” Smith Rowe said. “I have not really got anything to lose. I have tried to change that inside me. I used to have a lot of doubts. I used to question my confidence, at times. But now I am really strong. I am feeling really fit and I am taking that into now.
“The gaffer has really helped me with that. He was helping me through my injury and often pulled me for chats about how I can be mentally stronger. I tried to support the boys as much as I could when I couldn’t help them on the pitch. It was really tough but I am stronger now.”
Smith Rowe played mainly off the left wing as he made his way up under Arteta but the manager’s options there run deep – Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard plus Reiss Nelson. Gabriel Jesus can play in the role, too. Is Smith Rowe now more focused on playing in central midfield?
“No, not really,” he replied. “Being at a massive club like Arsenal, we know there is so much competition. It is always going to be difficult to cement your place in the team. It is just an extra push for me to keep working hard, keep fighting. I have just got to keep believing in myself.”
Smith Rowe was an unused substitute in every league game of the season until he got on in the last minute of Sunday’s derby draw with Tottenham. In Arsenal’s previous match – the 4-0 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven – he was given a tremendous reception by the Emirates Stadium crowd when he appeared as a 69th-minute substitute.
“When I heard that in the Champions League, it was a really proud moment for me and my family,” Smith Rowe said. “It has been hard sometimes not coming on and sometimes [you are] disappointed, but this is life, this is football. You have got to keep going.”
