"I have huge gratitude" - Mikel Arteta sends heartfelt message to ex-Arsenal star following his summer exit
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sent a warm message to former Gunners star Emile Smith Rowe following his departure to Fulham three weeks ago. The Spaniard said that he had 'huge gratitude' for the 24-year-old's contributions to his boyhood club.
Smith Rowe graduated from Arsenal's famed Hale End academy and made his senior debut for the club in the 2018-19 season. He appeared in 115 games for the north Londoners, scoring 18 goals and assisting 13 times.
His best campaign was in 2021-22, in which he bagged 11 goals and two assists in 37 games across all competitions. However, with the arrival of talents like Fabio Vieira and Leandro Trossard, the Englishman was relegated to the bench.
Smith Rowe featured sparsely over the last two campaigns, culminating in a permanent move to Craven Cottage worth a reported £34 million in August 2024. When asked if he was sad after the attacking midfielder's departure from the club, Arteta said (via GOAL):
"A lot. When I had the talk with Emile, I really felt it. First of all because I have huge gratitude because he came into the team at a tough moment. I think he was the player that made our supporters and the team click, in a way. I don't know how to explain it but that was my feeling."
"Something changed when he came in the team. He created a different energy straight away. And I have a feeling like 'argh', that I have not got the best out of him," Arteta concluded.
"It was definitely a sad moment" - Emile Smith Rowe remains optimistic but expresses sadness after Arsenal exit
Former Arsenal ace Emile Smith Rowe expressed optimism but exclaimed his sadness after leaving the Emirates to join Fulham. The playmaker said that his departure was 'definitely a sad moment', but claimed that he is in a 'really good place'.
Speaking to Hayters TV after his arrival at Craven Cottage, the 24-year-old said (via TBR Football):
"It was definitely an emotional move. Like you said, I had been at Arsenal for so long, so it was definitely a sad moment, but I’m in a really good place at the moment, and I’m really happy. The players and the staff have taken me in so well and everyone is giving me confidence."
Smith Rowe started and played 64 minutes in Fulham's first Premier League game of the 2024-25 season, a 1-0 loss against Manchester United. His first encounter against his boyhood club, Arsenal, will be at Craven Cottage in a league fixture on December 7.