'He's so important to us': Granit Xhaka raves about Arsenal youngster Emile Smith Rowe
Granit Xhaka reveals his delight with how Emile Smith Rowe has been performing for Arsenal recently
Granit Xhaka has talked up the importance of Emile Smith Rowe to the Arsenal team following his recent fine performances for the Gunners.
The 20-year-old has been earning lots of praise for his solid performances for the Gunners in recent weeks and he once again proved his worth by scoring the opener in the 2-0 extra-time win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Smith Rowe, who has been at Arsenal since the age of 10, has now made eight appearances for the first team in all competitions and has been impressing with some eye-catching displays.
The youngster will be hoping to hold down a more regular fixture in the first team under Mikel Arteta in the coming weeks and months.
And Gunners midfielder Xhaka has been delighted to see the Arsenal Academy product play so well in recent games.
Speaking in an interview quoted by Metro, Xhaka said: “He’s a lovely guy, a very good guy who wants to improve, he listens to us experienced players a lot and he’s so important to us.
“You can see how many balls he recovers, how many key balls he plays at the front and for the front guys as well he’s so important.
“He has to keep going like this, to improve day-by-day but he has a good mentality and that’s very important as well.”
Arsenal will return to Premier League action on Thursday night when they welcome Crystal Palace to The Emirates.
The north London side are aiming to make it five wins in a row in all competitions as they look to continue their climb up the Premier League table.
