Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith-Rowe has revealed that North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur were keen on signing him some years back, but he was not interested as an Arsenal fan.
In an exclusiveinterview with journalist Dave Hytner of the Guardian, Smith-Rowe stated that Spurs wanted to sign him when he was 15 or 16 and that his target was to be a successful player at Arsenal whom he joined at the age of 10.
Smith-Rowe also talked about how hard is it to stay grounded when everyone is talking about you. The England national team invitee went on to say that it’s easier to maintain a level head when people have good things to say about you.
Arsenal midfielder Smith-Rowe has lit up Premier League grounds since he was introduced into the starting XI for a game against Chelsea last year December. Smith-Rowe has become a regular in the Arsenal XI since he took the opportunity handed to him by manager Mikel Arteta when the Gunners were going through a poor run of form. He provided an assist as Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-1 at home to reignite their season. The Gunners were struggling for form and they were a few places above the relegation zone. The introduction of Smith-Rowe to the Arsenal starting line-up coincided with the upturn in form. In the end, the Gunners finished the season in eighth position.
In total, English midfielder Smith-Rowe scored four times in addition to providing eight assists in his breakthrough season at Arsenal.
Smith-Rowe has taken his Arsenal form to a new level this season and he has five goals plus two assists in all competitions. The England midfielder has four goals and two assists in the Premier League this season. He scored his fourth league goal of the season with the only goal of the game as Arsenal beat Watford to secure fifth place on the log.