Emile Smith Rowe: Staying patient

Through the good times and the tough, Emile Smith Rowe knows the value of having supportive teammates around you.

The midfielder has grown up at this club, joining at the age of just nine and very quickly establishing himself as a central figure on the pitch as he progressed through the ranks.

Long picked out as one to watch by his coaches during his days at Hale End, he went on to make his first-team debut at the age of 18 in September 2018 and was then handed the prestigious No. 10 shirt upon signing a new contract in the summer of 2021.

But recently the gifted playmaker has had to be more patient. Injuries curtailed his progress last season, and he has been limited to 16 appearances so far this term.

He remains a hugely positive influence around the team and in the dressing room though. From a young age, he’s been used to being the centre of attention on the pitch, even if he’s a more reserved personality off it.

“In terms of being around the dressing room when I was really young, like 12 or 13, I was really shy,” he says. “I was quite quiet, maybe close with two or three of the guys. Of course, I got on with everyone, but in terms of being loud in the dressing room, there were a couple of players I got on well with and was close with.

“Then as I got older I got more confident. I think I was the same on the pitch to be fair – I’ve never been that loud on the pitch and it’s similar even now. So I’m similar now as a character to when I was younger, but the difference is my confidence has grown a lot over the years.

“I liked to be the guy they looked to on the pitch, and I captained the side a few times on tour. There was one tour in Holland at the Future Cup where I captained the group at under-17 level, which I really enjoyed.”

A talent as natural and eye-catching as Emile’s is never going to go under the radar, so it’s a good job he learned to embrace the extra attention and expectation that came with it.

“Yeah I loved it, I really enjoyed it,” he smiles, “especially in school teams. They would be looking at me to win games and I knew that. There was pressure there but I loved it. I think it helped me too, but at the same time, I was never one to scream and shout at people.

“Basically my attitude was just: give me the ball and I’ll show you what I can do. I’ll let my feet do the talking! I was very happy to do that, and even off the pitch now I’m not the loudest. I like to express myself on the ball instead, but in the changing room I do try to get on with everyone.

“I love being part of a team, and that team spirit you get with your teammates. At school, I did athletics, which is obviously more individual. I ran the 400 metres, and
I loved that. I represented my district and county at 400 metres, so I liked that, but it’s obviously very different to being in a team.

"It’s hard to explain because I’ve been in a team sport all my life. I really enjoyed my running, but with football, you have a whole team around you – not just the other players but the coaches and backroom staff. So that gives it a very different feel. You’re still responsible for your own performance and it all comes down to you, but at the same time you can’t let down your teammates and you want to give your best for them as well. That’s a pressure I like too.

“I love being a team player, being involved in the middle and working hard for other people. Also, the feeling of winning is great when you can share that with your mates.”

“I feel like I can go to anyone to have a chat and I hope they all feel the same way too. It’s really important to have that at a club.”

It works both ways too – having your team-mates around you when things are not going so well. Emile believes that feeling of unity is one of the great strengths of this current squad.

“Yeah I’ve been through that as well, been out of the team and been in the team, so I know how it feels,” he reflects. “That’s why I think the culture we have here is so important. There is a proper family feel at the club, and that is so important when you need that support from your teammates, or they need help from you.

"If someone is on a downer, there is always someone there. Personally I feel like I can go to anyone to have a chat about stuff, and I hope they all feel the same way too. It’s really important to have that at a club and to feel that unity.

“I’ve been through quite a lot over the past couple of seasons,” the 23-year-old continues. “I had surgery for the first time as well and that was a difficult step for me. Going through that was hard, and of course, you have your family and friends around you, but at the club, all the staff and players helped me so much too.

You have tough days when you’re injured, and you can’t be with the players on the training pitches, but it was important for me to stay involved, keep in touch with everyone, to be present, go to all the meetings even when I wasn’t fit so that I could stay on top of everything. Even if I couldn’t be on the pitch, I wanted to be involved, and the staff were so important. I can’t thank them enough for what they did for me during my rehab.”

Emile missed more than five months of action at the start of last season with a groin injury, and has made just three starts this campaign. It’s allowed him to at least form stronger bonds with the ‘team behind the team’: the backroom staff who have been with Emile every step of the way on his Arsenal journey so far.

“It’s so true how important these people are,” he says. “We spend a lot of time together, so obviously you are going to be close. With the kitmen, the physios, the sports scientists, the coaching staff – it’s one team when we are here at the training ground. Even at the end of training sessions on the pitches, we can all have a laugh together. We get on well and we’re one big family. We’re all here to help the team win, we all want to make each other better every day, and that’s a great feeling.

“I’ve been here so long now, I’ve known these guys for a long time, and the new players settle in so quickly that you get to know them well too. It helps you know how to react to different people at different times.

"Everyone is different and going through different things, so they will deal differently to a win or a defeat. You get to know how to react to them, and that’s why it’s important to actually get to really know your teammates, really know them, to understand them and know what they need at different times.”

But it’s not accurate to say that Arsenal is all he’s known. Since joining our academy in 2010 he’s also spent time out on loan at two very different environments, firstly with Red Bull Leipzig in the Bundesliga in 2018/19, then with Huddersfield Town in the Championship the following season.

He forged strong bonds with his teammates at both clubs and quickly looked to assimilate himself into the team dynamic.

“I love that, building those relationships,” he says. “Both times I’ve been on loan I made friends that I still speak to. From my time in Germany and at Huddersfield there are a few guys I stay in touch and it’s funny when I play against them now and we remember when we were teammates. I always have a chat with them.

“I was really close with Tyler Adams at Leipzig, and he’s at Bournemouth now. He was the only other guy who could speak English basically, so we hung around a lot together – we lived next door to each other so we spent a lot of time together. He helped me a lot there, so it’s funny that we come up against each other now.

“Harry Toffolo is another one – he’s at Forest now but we played together at Huddersfield. He joined during the same transfer window as me and we always have a chat when we play each other.”

"I know the fans are willing my next goal! I can’t wait to celebrate together with them again."

And then of course there is the ever-expanding number of Hale End alumni, who Emile often comes up against.

“It’s true, it seems like in most of the games now there is someone you have been with at some point. Joe Willock scored against us recently, which didn’t surprise me because we know what a great player he is.

"There’s Jaidon Anthony as well, he’s at Leeds now on loan. We were really close back at Hale End, so it’s good to see him doing well too. There are a few Hale End players around at other clubs, and it’s always nice to see them because we’ve obviously known the same coaches and been through the same things. Also, the boys I’ve played with for England youth, it’s good to see them too, people I’ve known from when I was growing up.”

When it comes to the heat of the action though, that’s when Emile reverts to ‘letting his boots do the talking’.

“It’s all smiles before the game, but as soon as the whistle goes, it’s full focus on the game,” he says. “Sometimes there might be the odd word here or there during the game too, and people want to put you off your game, but honestly I don’t get involved in that stuff usually. I prefer to wait until after the game and then have a laugh when we’ve won! I wouldn’t say I’m much of a wind-up guy though!”

Emile doesn’t seek motivation from those encounters or conversations on the pitch either, because he has a very specific source of inspiration – the Emirates Stadium faithful. As a homegrown player who has developed in front of the supporters’ eyes, it’s no surprise he’s a firm favourite with the fans, and he’s very aware of the love they show him.

“I definitely feel that when I go onto the pitch – 100 per cent. I know they’re willing my next goal! I don’t know if they want it even more than I do, but I appreciate it a lot. I can’t wait to celebrate together with them again.

“I’ve been here since I was nine, I grew up as an Arsenal fan, so it’s important for me to give everything I can for the club, especially to those fans who support us no matter what. I definitely think of them a lot when I’m playing, and they’re a big part of my daily motivation.”