Pre-season games are primarily about building up fitness but they can also be fantastic opportunities for young players to impress and command more playing time when the real action gets underway.
Emile Smith Rowe is certainly doing everything in his power to ensure that he can, at the very least, be involved in the cup competitions for Arsenal this season, and today, in the game against Atletico Madrid, the Hale End graduate produced an encouraging display, with his superb goal the undoubted highlight.
Smith Rowe was recommended to Unai Emery as a player who should be taken on tour and that decision has proven to be an inspired one as the 17-year-old performed impressively against Atletico and certainly didn’t look out of place in a first-team environment.
Possessing excellent close control and capable of bursting past players with ease when the opportunity presents itself, Smith Rowe is certainly one of Arsenal’s standout youngsters and the hope now is that he will be able to push on further under Emery’s guidance and eventually become part of the first-team squad.
Of course, there is still much work to do. Just ask Jeff Reine-Adelaide who three years ago was making numerous headlines with his pre-season displays yet today has left the club on a permanent basis to join Angers.
Reine-Adelaide endured much misfortune with injuries but his tale is evidence that until a player is firmly cemented as part of the first-team squad, they aren’t guaranteed to make it at the club, and even then it takes something special for them to continue to perform at a very high level.
For now, though, Smith Rowe’s development is going very well indeed. Last season he frequently caught the eye at youth level, especially in the FA Youth Cup, and he is expected to be a regular for the U23s this season as they look to defend the Premier League 2 title.
The Europa League and the League Cup could present opportunities for Smith Rowe to become increasingly involved with the first-team and it isn’t out of the question that he could make his Premier League debut next campaign if he keeps progressing.
Currently Smith Rowe should just continue to take each game as it comes and look to develop even further. He is certainly doing well so far.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
I was at Jack Wilshire’s breakthrough pre-season against Rangers when he was a precocious 16 year old and I have never been so excited about a youth player. This comes close to that feeling though, more than The Jeff’s cameo 3 years ago.
I was at the Emirates cup for jacks pre season breakthrough, and my partner who knows little about football , pointed him out as a skillfull player.
I know it’s an isolated goal from a preseason match, but everything about it is exciting.
17, it won’t be a straight path upwards, see Jack and most other youngsters. However I have some confidence he can make it.
I’d imagine he won’t be asked to play 58 games this season so presumably has a better chance than Jack of not being ruined.
Anyone else feel sad about this:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jul/26/santi-cazorla-arsenal-villarreal-injury
Cazorla could be back….
Sadness in a selfish point of view. Delighted for Santi. Lets hope there is a buy back clause…
Santi was out of contract, no way we can insert a buyback clause
I noticed the commentator kept saying Ernie Smith Rowe. Is this what he likes to be called or was the commentator just have no fucking clue what his name is.
No fucking clue sounds just about right.
Can somebody please let me know as a matter of urgency; is it Smith-Rowe as in ‘Row, row, row your boat’ or as in ‘me and my Mrs had a blazing row last night’
Its the first one
Wait, are those different?!
What is his injury record like? He looks strong and he has bags of potential.good luck to the lad. On another note, I’m gutted about the Jeff! My misses is called adelaide and was looking forward to putting it on the back of her shirt!
does anyone know who it was that recommended him?