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Emile Smith Rowe has revealed he was left without words after manager Gareth Southgate called him up to the England squad last year.
THE LOWDOWN: CLIMBING THROUGH THE RANKS
Smith Rowe is fast rising through the ranks at national level, with three caps for England following his debut against Albania in November, having been a prominent figure for the Young Lions.
The 22-year-old has featured at every level from U16 to U21 for England and played a key role as the Young Lions won the U17 World Cup in 2017.
Smith Rowe has scored 18 goals in 86 games for Arsenal and has helped Mikel Arteta’s side climb to the top of the Premier League table after an impressive start to the 2022-23 season.
For many players, wearing the national team’s jersey is the ultimate goal and it is even more memorable when it happens at a young age. That is the case for the Arsenal star, who got a call-up from Southgate last November, while he was still only 21.
THE LATEST: SPEECHLESS FEELING
Reflecting on his first call-up ahead of November’s World Cup in Qatar, Smith Rowe told England Football: “It [was] a bit surreal to be honest.”
“It’s crazy just being around the place and with all the players. I am so happy to be here and I am just going to enjoy it as much as I can. This is probably the biggest achievement I have had in my career so far.”
“It is just different. Coming to St. George’s, being on a different training pitch… it is crazy. I am a bit speechless to be honest. I don’t know what to say about it all yet because it still hasn’t really sunk in yet that I am actually here.”
“Gareth called me and said ‘congratulations, you have been called up to the first team’ – I didn’t know what to do.”
Like many others who once experienced the same, Smith Rowe did not know how to react.
“I was starstruck at the time. I was stuttering, I didn’t know what to say. I just said ‘oh wow, thank you so much”, he added.
“I ran downstairs to my mum and told her and she couldn’t believe it. She thought I was joking. It was very emotional but she was very proud of me.”
“After that I called my dad straight away to tell him the news and he was buzzing for me as well.”
THE VERDICT: BRIGHT FUTURE
It is obvious to see that Smith Rowe has a bright future ahead of him but injuries continue to derail his development and that is the only thing standing in his way at the moment.
In the absence of that, he’ll be expected to play a key role for club and country in the coming years as he continues to see his stock rise.
