60 Wednesday November 10 2021 | the times
SportFootball
R
eece James was
discussing his blistering
early-season form —
which has yielded more
goals, four, than in his
previous two campaigns with
Chelsea combined — when he
touched upon the influence of his
manager, Thomas Tuchel.
“What he demands from the
players has changed,” the right
back said. “He wants everyone to be
attacking and to be non-stop,
constantly attacking the box.”
As James finished that sentence,Full backs
torn between
functionality
and flair
Paul JoyceJames is given
licence to attack
from right back at
Chelsea but for
England is told to
focus on defendingSmith Rowe did not expect to be called
up by England so soon in his career
Emile Smith Rowe seems so nerveless
in possession, dribbling forward, taking
on opponents, yet the 21-year-old
admits he has had to overcome stage
fright when stepping out in front of full
houses. The Arsenal No 10, now
training with England at St George’s
Park for the first time, believes that his
emergence was accelerated last season
by playing in front of empty stadiums
during the pandemic but he is definitely
getting used to delivering in front of
60,000-plus crowds.
The south Londoner sits in
the old futsal court and,
very softly spoken, details
how he is tackling the
nerves. “It’s mainly in
the changing room
before the game —
that’s when I’m most
nervous,” he begins. “I
have spoken to some
players and that say the
same as well.” Smith Rowe adds
that combating the nerves is “some-
thing I may look into” but the process
seems under way given the level of
performance. Those nerves may also
sharpen his edge. “Maybe it helps,” he
agrees, “maybe it’s a good thing.”
His Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta,
soothes the nerves with words of
encouragement before Smith Rowe
leaves the dressing room. “He says,
‘[Get] on the ball, enjoy yourself and be
confident. Don’t put too much pressure
on yourself because the squad is quite
young.’ Tactically, there’s always a lot of
information and it’s hard to take in at
times, so you have to focus.”
Smith Rowe wears No 10, and has
spoken of his preference for that
position in the past, but is increasingly
used by Arteta on the left, cutting
inside, while the full back, Kieran
Tierney or Nuno Tavares, flies past on
the overlap. “I feel like with the way
Arsenal play, it’s easier for me to be on
the left,” Smith Rowe says. “Our full
backs play quite high and I like to be in
the pocket, so I’m happy wherever I
play, but at the moment left wing is
quite good for me.”
That positioning, along with his
talent and edge, have helped him to
score five goals in his past eight games,
bringing width and a goal threat with
Bukayo Saka, another academy
alumnus. The pair are the symbols of
the new Arsenal, the Arteta process in
all its craved-for glory. Arsenal fans
love them, reworking Status Quo’s
Rockin’ All Over the World to celebrate
“Saka and Emile Smith Rowe”. Rob
Holding and Ben White did the song on
the team coach after the Leicester City
game last month.
“Me and Bukayo are always laughing
about it and sometimes it gets played in
Smith Rowe trades
takeaways for his
own private chef
the changing room, some of the lads are
making a joke about it,” Smith Rowe
says. “It’s funny. I didn’t think the fans
would’ve made a song about us.”
It’s because they are homegrown and
love to attack. “Yes, of course,” Smith
Rowe agrees. “Growing up, coming
through the academy, it makes it extra
special that they’ve got a song about us
and it’s funny sometimes when we hear
it on the pitch. It’s crazy.”
Growing up initially in Thornton
Heath, Smith Rowe should have been a
Crystal Palace fan. “I know. I know. My
dad’s a Spurs fan as well. But me and my
brother are Arsenal fans. It was just a
generation thing, seeing the legends
who were playing there at the time —
Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp.
“I went to one or two summer schools
[at Palace] and Fulham as well. The first
trial I had at a club was Chelsea.
I was about seven or eight. I
was quite small, really
skinny, everyone was so
physical and I just kept
getting pushed off the
ball.” He failed the trial.
“Spurs were interest-
ed when I was about 15
or 16. I wasn’t that
interested, to be honest,
being an Arsenal fan.”
He was already at Arsenal
after that Chelsea experience. “When
I did go to Arsenal they didn’t seem to
bother about my physicality. It was
more about passing the ball and linking
up with each other. As I’ve grown up
I’ve got stronger and tried to focus on
pushing people around as well.”
He went on loan to RB Leipzig in
2019 but managed only threeappearances. “I moved to Germany at
18, by myself as well, my family couldn’t
come out. It was tough,” he says.
He had a nagging injury. “It was like
a growing pain that I had in my groin. It
was tough but I don’t regret going there
at all. It helped me become more
mature. It definitely made me more of a
man as well.”
A loan spell of 19 games at
Huddersfield Town gave him more
experience. His real breakthrough
came last Boxing Day in the 3-1 win
over Chelsea at an empty Emirates.
“I wasn’t supposed to start but in the
hotel the gaffer said, ‘Can we have a
chat’ a couple of hours before the game.
He told me I was actually starting. That
was a bit crazy. It was a big game but
[having] no fans definitely helped me.
I’m always really nervous before the
game and not having that pressure of
everyone shouting helped me a lot.”
He has developed in fitness and
influence over the year. Arteta spoke
recently about Smith Rowe benefiting
from lifestyle changes.
“What he was talking about was my
diet. I didn’t used to eat that well. I used
to get cramp after 60 minutes. Before
games I wasn’t really that hydrated.”
His weakness was chocolate. “I like
Nando’s a lot. Maybe that’s killing me a
little bit.’’
Academies, especially those with
category one status, are usually strong
on ensuring players have good eating
habits. “They are strict but I didn’t
really listen. That’s where I went wrong.
But now I’m listening, all the time. I’ve
tried to cut out chocolate and takea-
ways. The club have sorted me out a
chef called Chris and he comes to my
house. He’s got a couple of pasta dishes
and that’s good. I didn’t used to like
fish but now I’m into it. Salmon and
stuff.”
It’s been a recipe for success. Now he
is with England, having watched the
Euros as a fan, especially watching
Saka. “I came to the semi-final at
Wembley and he got the assist for the
goal against Denmark. That was a
special feeling, not just for me but
everyone at Arsenal, to see him doing
so well after growing up together and
playing together. I couldn’t be more
proud of him.”
Smith Rowe held off calling Saka
after his penalty miss in the final and
the horrendous abuse. “I tried to give
him some space at first. After a
couple of weeks, I sent him a mes-
sage. It was hard to see one of my
closest friends at Arsenal [go
through that]. But when he came
back, everyone got around him.
Bukayo is a strong person and
he’ll bounce back — and he
has definitely already.”
Smith Rowe now trains
with Saka at St George’s
Park. He did not feel close to
an England call-up but then
Marcus Rashford withdrew ill and he
received his first call.
“I didn’t think I would be involved,”
he says. “It’s my first proper season in
the Premier League. I know when you
play for England you’ve got to work
your way up.” And use the nerves
as adrenaline.Henry Winter
Chief Football
WriterEngland v
Albania
Friday, 7.45pm kick-off
Wembley Stadium
TV: ITV
Radio: talkSPORT