Arsenal star Emile Smith Rowe has had a difficult few years in which he has barely featured, and his future is far from certain.
The midfielder was a rising star when he broke through from the Hale End Academy, and established himself as a first-team player alongside Bukayo Saka.
In a time when Mikel Arteta was under heavy pressure at Arsenal, it was Smith Rowe who helped bail him out on several occasions when he was in the team, and his 2021-22 campaign was outstanding as he scored 10 Premier League goals.
Since then, the 23-year-old has struggled with long-term injury, and his recovery was stunted by further fitness issues, and he has not been able to put together a run of games.
The England International has been linked with a move away, but Arteta has now challenged him to fight for a place in the team.
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Mikel Arteta calls upon Smith Rowe to fight for Arsenal place
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta called for Smith Rowe to use his negative experiences in the last two years to motivate himself to find his form again.
“I look at him and what happened within the last few seasons, especially with him by what happened pre-season, as well. Take all that, it is the best thing that could have happened for him in his career if you use it in the right way now,” he stated.
“So, don’t look back and say, ‘Oh no, this happened’. Use it. ‘That was the best thing that could have happened. I had great moments, I had difficult moments. Now, I know what I want, how to deal with that. That’s gonna make me a much better player’
“You can see the hell of a player that we have in him when he’s fit and playing at that level.”
Arteta’s comments indicate Smith Rowe may still have Arsenal future
All signs point towards Hale End graduates Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson departing this summer, but Smith Rowe’s future is still unclear.
His performance against Luton showed that he is still capable of having a game-changing impact on matches, and he could be very useful in the next two months.
Arteta clearly values him very highly, but the next step will be maintaining his fitness and finding his best form.
If Smith Rowe can reach his best level and force his way into the side, then he may still have a bright future at the club, but he is perhaps running out of time.