Emile Smith Rowe makes key Arsenal pre-season tour decision to impress Mikel Arteta
The Hale Ender is keen to kick on from his European Under-21 Championship glory in Georgia in order to force his way back into Mikel Arteta's plans for next season
After being the Gunners' second highest goalscorer in his first full senior season with the club, the Hale Ender went on to have a difficult campaign last time out. He was ruled out for five months due to a groin injury that had been causing him pain for years, and suffered a few setbacks on his road to recovery which elongated his absence further.
After finally getting to a stage where he was playing pain free though, Smith Rowe was forced to wait even longer for his chance to bounce back, with Mikel Arteta not handing him a single start in any competition. Throughout that time though, the 22-year-old continued to impress on the training ground, with one of his key motivations being to achieve glory with England at the Under-21 Euros.
Instead of taking time off at the end of the season in May, Smith Rowe headed out to Dubai for a week long training session with coach Sean O'Shea. Having reaped the benefits of that in Georgia, he is now keen to build on his success and win back his starting place at Arsenal.
The 22-year-old will have less than a week off before joining up with the rest of the Gunners squad in America. Arsenal travel out to the States on Sunday ahead of three preseason friendlies against the MLS All Stars, Manchester United and Barcelona in Washington, New York and LA respectively.
Having seen injuries disrupt his preseason last year, Smith Rowe will be hoping that his match fitness from his time with England will help him to get straight up to speed with Arteta's demands. There had been some doubts over the Hale Ender's future but it is
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