Could Smith Rowe outgrow Arsenal?
Stuart Hodge
- 23 Oct 2021 15:03 CDT
- 6 min read
Arsenal produced one of their best perfomances in a long time as they defeated Aston Villa 3-1 on Friday night and Emile Smith Rowe was at the heart of things.
The 21-year-old scored a goal, assisted one and won the man of the match award as the Gunners played with a fluidity which has been missing for much of Mikel Arteta's reign.
Smith Rowe was tied down to a five-year deal by the club so Arsenal have good contract control over a player who is quickly becoming one of their more valuable commodities – but is there a chance that he reaches a level where he would be holding himself back by staying at Arsenal?
Slower route to the top
Before analysing the question in any more detail, it's worth considering that Smith Rowe's career journey to this point.
Unlike, say, Jack Wilshere, who exploded onto the scene as a 16-year-old as Arsenal's youngest-ever player at the time (and is now without a club as a 29-year-old), for Smith Rowe the journey has been slower and much more one of gradual progression.
The Croydon-born star is only 47th on the list of Arsenal's youngest-ever players and had to wait until 18 for his debut. He also has had a couple of loan spells at other clubs.
Firstly at RB Leipzig, where he managed less than half-an-hour of football due to injury issues with his groin. Then he spent half-a-season at Huddersfield Town in the Championship from January 2020 through to the summer where he got his first consistent period of first-team football.
Upon his return to the Emirates Stadium, he forced himself into the Arsenal first-team picture and clocked up over 30 appearances last season. In this current campaign, he now looks like he's emerging as one of the key creative forces in the team. If he can sustain it, then it will be safe to say this has properly been the season he has established himself.
Arsenal and Smith Rowe's respective situation
Smith Rowe joined Arsenal's academy aged 10 and is loving life at the moment, so much so that in a recent interview with the Evening Standard, he said he would be happy to stay at the club for the rest of his career.
In that same interview though, he was asked about his aspirations and said: “Hopefully some trophies. I think that’s what it is about really, creating the memories.
“Definitely [winning] the Premier League would be great with Arsenal. Representing my country is definitely a dream as well."
So there are a few different elements to consider here, firstly: the Gunners have finished eighth in the past two Premier League campaigns and are currently sitting ninth.
TRENDING
They also haven't been involved in the Champions League since 16/17, so if Smith Rowe wants to test himself at the top level and prove himself worthy of England consideration, can he do it at a club which continues to operate out of European football's top competition?
No, chances are it will definitely hold him back if Arsenal don't improve from the level they've been at in the past couple of seasons.
The player may currently have the desire to remain with the club, but in four years' time if he's still not sampled Champions League football or action with England, will he be happy to stay beyond what will by then be the one remaining year of his contract?
Again, at that point, the player may well have to consider his options and the fact that football is not a long career.
But if Arsenal can progress gradually and steadily, in the way that the player himself has, then perhaps they can get to the level where the marriage between club and player remains a happy one.
