Emile Smith Rowe shares the real reason he had to leave Arsenal for Fulham last summer

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After more than a decade at the club, Emile Smith Rowe left Arsenal in the recent summer transfer window. 

Emile Smith Rowe first entered the Arsenal academy when he was 10-years-old and went on to make over 100 appearances for the first team.

The attacking midfielder made his senior debut for the North London club in a Europa League clash against Vorskla Poltava in 2018.

The Hale End academy graduate then enjoyed loan spells with RB Leipzig and Huddersfield Town before returning to North London and truly establishing himself under Mikel Arteta.

Smith Rowe was able to produce some scintillating performances for the Gunners, and quickly became a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium, but recurrent injuries ultimately restricted his progress.

The 24-year-old was a bit-part figure in his last two seasons at Arsenal. Whilst Arteta regularly insisted Smith Rowe was in his plans, it became obvious that he had fallen down the pecking order. 

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Why Emile Smith Rowe left Arsenal

Many Arsenal fans were sad to see Smith Rowe leave when he joined Fulham in the summer. 

However, few would deny that the 3-cap England international needs regular football at this stage in his career, and Smith Rowe was unlikely to ever get that game time for the Gunners this season.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Smith Rowe has now opened up about his decision to leave Arsenal. 

He said: “For the last two seasons I haven’t played as much as I wanted to and it was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to be happy again. I wanted to be playing.

“Sometimes you have to think of the best for yourself. I always want to put my club first but at the same time I have to make myself happy. It was probably the toughest decision I’ve had to make. But I spoke to my family and we decided it was the best thing for me.”

Will Arsenal miss Smith Rowe?

Had Smith Rowe remained at Arsenal this season, he may well have featured regularly in recent weeks due to the injury that has been sustained by Martin Odegaard.

However, whilst Smith Rowe’s exit may have weakened the Gunners from a squad depth perspective, Arteta will value squad harmony above all, and it is clear that the player was no longer happy at Arsenal.