Emile Smith Rowe has said that he intends to remain at Arsenal for his entire career, as long as the club wants him.
Smith Rowe penned a long-term contract with his boyhood club in the summer, ending speculation that he might join Aston Villa as Jack Grealish's replacement.
The 21-year-old's emergence as a first-teamer last season was one of the rare high points of Arsenal's terrible season and speaking to the Evening Standard, he admitted that he wanted to be a one-club man.
“If Arsenal want me for the rest of my career, then I am going to stay here forever. It is always difficult [to stay at one club for your career], but for me personally I’d love to be here forever,“ he said.
“For me it was easy [to sign a new contract with Arsenal]. Obviously it didn’t look like that from the outside, it looked quite difficult.
“Playing for Arsenal, growing up an Arsenal fan and my family around me, it was easy. Growing up in London, I didn’t want to move out of London. It was probably one of the easiest decisions I’ve made.”
Smith Rowe also addressed his international future. Despite his impressive recent performances, a senior England call-up has not been forthcoming.
Smith Rowe has made four appearances for the Under-21 side though, and he admitted that earning that first-team cap is high on his list of aspirations.
“Definitely [winning] the Premier League would be great with Arsenal. Representing my country is definitely a dream as well, no matter what game,“ he said.
“Just putting on the shirt is going to be something I want to achieve in my career. I just want to be the best I can be. Hopefully I can look back and be proud of myself.”
He added: “It’s always been a dream to put the England shirt on. My coaches have always said: ‘Keep your head down and the opportunities will come, you’ve just got to believe in yourself’.
“For me, I have just got to focus on Arsenal and try to play as well as I can. We will see what happens.”
Source : 90min