[Sport] Emile Smith Rowe: From shy teenager to one of Arsenal's brightest rising stars

[#Hassan.]

 

To watch Emile Smith Rowe play football, you would think he would have the confident, almost cocky, swagger off the pitch as he displays on it.

That could not be further from the truth.

The talented 20-year-old's assured displays for Arsenal this season have been a significant driving factor in the Gunners' resurgence after he broke into the first team.

After appearing in the Europa League earlier this season, Smith Rowe made his first Premier League start in the 3-1 win against Chelsea on 26 December. Since then, Mikel Arteta's side have lost just one game whenever he has been on pitch.

He has started the past eight league matches, scoring once and making three assists, to help the Gunners to five wins and two draws - the only loss coming at Wolves on Tuesday, a match the Gunners ended with nine men.

But without a football at his feet, Smith Rowe is a quiet and reserved person who used to get incredibly nervous before playing in even under-17 games.

"He does not look shy when he crosses the white line," former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison said on BBC Radio 5 live.

"He has been excellent, you would never think he is a shy lad because he is always demanding the ball."

Ex-Arsenal defender Matthew Upson added: "He does not play like he is nervous.

"He plays with real freedom and he expresses himself well. To say he is shy shows how different personalities come out on the pitch."

So how did a shy and quiet young man from Croydon conquer his nerves to become one of the most exciting youngsters in the English top flight?