.jpg) Smith Rowe withFulham in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Emile Smith Rowe[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2000-07-28)28 July 2000 (age 25)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Thornton Heath, London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.82 m)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Fulham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| –2010 | Glebe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2018 | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2024 | Arsenal | 80 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | →RB Leipzig (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | →Huddersfield Town (loan) | 19 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Fulham | 60 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | England U16 | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | England U17 | 11 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | England U18 | 2 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | England U19 | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | England U20 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021−2023 | England U21 | 16 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | England | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:06, 11 February 2026 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Emile Smith Rowe (born 28 July 2000) is an English professionalfootballer who plays as anattacking midfielder forPremier League clubFulham.
He was a highly regarded youth player at Arsenal, whilst also playing a key part for England in their successfulFIFA U-17 World Cup campaign in 2017. Smith Rowe's professional breakthrough came in 2018, as he made an immediate impression at senior level for Arsenal, scoring several times in his first games.
In January, Smith Rowe moved to Bundesliga'sRB Leipzig on loan, playing just 3 times due to a recurring groin injury, despite this, the German club lobbied unsuccessfully for a permanent move. In July 2019, Smith Rowe returned to rehab at Arsenal for the first half of the season. In January 2020, Smith Rowe moved toHuddersfield Town on loan, playing a key part in keeping them up in the Championship.
Upon returning from loan, Smith Rowe established himself as a key player for Arsenal underMikel Arteta. In July 2021, he was given thenumber 10 shirt vacated byMesut Özil, and signed a long-term contract. That following season, Smith Rowe scored ten goals in the league, and was shortlisted for thePremier League Young Player of the Season and thePFA Young Player of the Year awards.[4][5]
Smith Rowe has represented every age bracket for England at youth levels. He made his senior debut againstAlbania on 12 November 2021, in a 5–0FIFA World Cup qualification victory.
_(Emile_Smith_Rowe).jpg)
Smith Rowe joined Arsenal'sHale End Academy in 2010 at the age of ten, after playing for South London-based teamGlebe.[6] He made his first appearance for the Under-23s in 2016–17, at the age of 16. He continued in the Under-23s during the 2017–18 season, making 10 appearances for the side, recorded 2 assists and 1 goal.[citation needed] He signed his first professional contract with the club on 31 July 2017.[7]
Smith Rowe signed a new long-term professional contract with Arsenal on 31 July 2018, when he was described by head coachUnai Emery as having "lots of potential".[8][9] The length of the contract was not disclosed by Arsenal, but it was reported to be five years.[10]
Smith Rowe made his Arsenal first-team competitive debut on 20 September 2018 againstVorskla Poltava in theUEFA Europa League, coming on as a second-half substitute forAlex Iwobi.[11] His appearance was the first Arsenal professional debut by a player born in the 2000s.[12][13] He scored after starting the followingEuropa League match againstQarabağ in a 3–0 victory for Arsenal, becoming the youngest Arsenal goalscorer in a competitive match sinceAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain in 2011, and the first player born after 2000 to score for the London club.[14][15] He scored his first goal at theEmirates in a 2–1 victory overBlackpool in theEFL Cup.[16]
On 31 January 2019, he joinedRB Leipzig on loan until the end of the 2018–19 season.[17] After signing, Leipzig discovered that Smith Rowe was not fully recovered from a groin injury.[18] Leipzig managerRalf Rangnick said: "He will not be fully training with us in the next two to three weeks".[18] Due to his injury issue, he only played a total of 28 minutes in three substitute appearances during his time at Leipzig.[19]
On 10 January 2020, Smith Rowe joinedEFL Championship clubHuddersfield Town on loan until the end of the 2019–20 season.[20] Huddersfield managerDanny Cowley responded to supporters' wishes for Smith Rowe to play more minutes by stating: "We have to be very protective of him which none of us like. I actually boo myself when I take him off, because it's not something I want to do."[21] On 1 February, Smith Rowe scored his first goal for Huddersfield in a 3–2 league defeat toFulham.[22] Smith Rowe's performance at Huddersfield caught the eye of many. In particular, in his final home appearance for the club, he scored the winning goal in the 86th minute againstWest Brom that would eventually help Huddersfield to secure EFL Championship safety.[23]
On 29 August 2020, Smith Rowe was named an unused substitute in the2020 FA Community Shield, in which Arsenal defeated Premier League winners Liverpool 5–4 on penalties after the match finished 1–1 in 90 minutes.[24] Following his return to Arsenal, Smith Rowe struggled with injuries before returning to fitness in the autumn.[25] Although he performed well in Arsenal'sEuropa League group fixtures, scoring or assisting in each of his matches, he did not start any of Arsenal's league matches in October or November. Following Arsenal's worst league start in decades,[26] managerMikel Arteta entrusted Smith Rowe with thenumber 10 role, replacingWillian on 26 December againstLondon rivalsChelsea, to inspire a 3–1 home win to end the club's poor run of form.[27] In his next five matches, Smith Rowe recorded three assists and scored a goal in a 2–0 FA Cup victory over Newcastle United.[28] On 14 March 2021, Smith Rowe played in theNorth London derby for the first time and delivered aman of the match performance in a 2–1 win overTottenham Hotspur.[29][30] On 9 May, Smith Rowe scored his first Premier League goal in a 3–1 home win overWest Bromwich Albion.[31] On 12 May, Smith Rowe scored the only goal in an away win over Chelsea, sealing the Gunners' first win atStamford Bridge in nearly 10 years and Arsenal's first league double over the Blues since2004.[32]
On 22 July 2021, Smith Rowe ended months of speculation by signing a long-term deal with the club, reported to be a five-year contract.[33] He was also handed the number 10 shirt for the new season, previously vacated byMesut Özil. The fans wholeheartedly embraced him, often chanting his and Bukayo Saka's names to the tune of 'Rocking All Over the World' by Status Quo.[34][35] On 26 September, Smith Rowe scored a goal and recorded an assist in a 3–1 win over rivals Tottenham.[36] In November, Smith Rowe scored three goals in three consecutive league matches, scoring in Arsenal's 3–1 win overAston Villa on 22 October,[37] their 2–0 victory overLeicester City on 30 October,[38] and the only goal in a 1–0 win overWatford on 7 November.[39]
On 5 December 2021, Smith Rowe would score his 5th league goal of the season in a 3–2 away defeat againstManchester United,[40] later coming off injured with a tight groin which sidelined him for several matches.[41] He would later make his return from injury with a substitute appearance againstWest Ham on 15 December, scoring in a 2–0 win at theEmirates.[42] Smith Rowe would again go on to score as a substitute in the following league games againstLeeds United andNorwich City.[43][44]
On 19 February 2022, Smith Rowe scored the opening goal againstBrentford in a 2–1 home win.[45] The goal, his tenth of the2021–22 season, made him the first Hale End graduate sinceCesc Fàbregas in2009–10 to hit double figures in a season.[46]
At the start of the2022–23 season, Smith Rowe struggled with a groin injury. He had surgery to fix the problem and was unable to play for the first half of the season.[47] He recovered, and was included in the squad in the latter half of the season.[citation needed]
On 4 March 2023, he came on in the first half againstBournemouth for the injuredLeandro Trossard and provided an assist forThomas Partey. Smith Rowe would himself be replaced byReiss Nelson, who scored the winning goal in the 97th minute as Arsenal recovered from going 2–0 down to win 3–2.[48] Smith Rowe struggled with injury throughout the 2022-23 season, making just 12 league appearances as the Gunners finished Premier League runners-up toManchester City.
On 6 August 2023, Smith Rowe made his first appearance of the2023–24 season, coming on as a late substitute during Arsenal's victory over Manchester City in the2023 FA Community Shield. Later that month, Smith Rowe was subject to a transfer enquiry from London rivalsChelsea.[49] However, Arsenal insisted that Smith Rowe was not for sale, with club managerMikel Arteta confirming in a press conference that Arsenal had no intention of selling Smith Rowe, despite his limited playing opportunities.[50]
Smith Rowe made his 100th first-team appearance for Arsenal on 27 September 2023 in their 1–0 win atBrentford in theEFL Cup. It was his first start for the club since May 2022.[51] On 28 October 2023, Smith Rowe made his first Premier League start of the season in Arsenal's 5–0 home win overSheffield United, assisting teammateEddie Nketiah in the 58th minute, helping him complete a hat-trick.[52] His next start for Arsenal came in a 2–0 win againstLuton Town on 3 April 2024, where he was named man of the match after being integral in the creation of both Arsenal's goals.[53]
Smith Rowe joinedFulham on a 5-year contract on 2 August 2024 for a club-record reported fee of £27 million with £7 million in potential add-ons.[54][55] He made his Fulham debut in a 1–0 loss againstManchester United in the league.[56] His home debut on 24 August 2024 saw his first goal in over two years in a 2–1 win againstLeicester City.[57]
Smith Rowe has been capped by England atU16,U17,U18 andU19 level whilst progressing through the ranks at Arsenal's academy.[58] In April 2017, Smith Rowe was included in the squad for the2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.[59] He came off the bench in the semi-final match againstTurkey[60] but did not play in the final as England were defeated on penalties bySpain.[61] In October, he was part of the squad that won theU-17 World Cup.[62][63] He scored in the group stage againstIraq[64] and provided an assist forRhian Brewster to score againstBrazil in the semi-finals.[65]
In October 2018, Smith Rowe scored for theEngland under-19 team againstPortugal.[66] On 14 November 2019, Smith Rowe made a goalscoring debut for theEngland under-20 team during a 4–0 win away toPortugal in theUnder 20 Elite League.[67] On 15 March 2021, Smith Rowe received his firstEngland U21 call up as part of the Young Lions squad for the2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[68] He made his debut in the opening game of the tournament, a 1–0 loss toSwitzerland on 25 March.[69]
Smith Rowe received his first call up to theEngland senior team in November 2021 for the2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches againstAlbania andSan Marino.[70] He made his debut as a 77th-minute substitute forRaheem Sterling in the 5–0 victory over Albania.[71] Smith Rowe scored his first international goal in the 58th minute of England's 10–0 away win against San Marino on 15 November 2021.[72]
On 14 June 2023, Smith Rowe was included in the England U21 squad for the2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. England emerged as champions with their 1–0 victory overSpain U21s in the final where he was named as a starter.[73]
Arsenal's former head of academy recruitment,Steve Morrow, described Smith Rowe to be "very direct, always looked forward, had a lovely touch, very clever in possession. He is always full of energy and work rate, and come alive on the ball." In his weekly Team of the Week column,Garth Crooks said "this boy is a Rolls Royce of a midfielder. I'm surprised he doesn't work in the fashion industry as this boy can thread the ball through the eye of a needle".[74]Mark Hudson, the former first-team coach atHuddersfield Town, was also impressed by Smith Rowe, "He drifts past people. He does not look quick but he is and it is with the ball which is brilliant. He naturally glides across the ground and he takes the ball in his stride. He has good vision and a good understanding of the game."[75]
Smith Rowe was born inCroydon, England, to parents Leslie Rowe and Fiona Smith. His father, Leslie, worked infoster care service for Islington Council, whilst his mother worked in social care. Smith Rowe has expressed the influence his father has had on him as a role-model, and that he played a key role in teaching him about kindness and giving back. He said in an interview,"I think it's very important that I give back and try to emulate what he [Emile's father] has done".[76]
He is ofJamaican descent through his father, andMalaysian descent through his maternal grandmother, who is fromRembau,Negeri Sembilan.[77]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal U21 | 2018–19[78] | — | — | — | — | 1[c] | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| 2019–20[79] | — | — | — | — | 2[c] | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 2020–21[80] | — | — | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| Arsenal | 2018–19[78] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4[d] | 2 | — | 6 | 3 | |
| 2019–20[79] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21[80] | Premier League | 20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11[d] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 4 | |
| 2021–22[36] | Premier League | 33 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 37 | 11 | |||
| 2022–23[81] | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[82] | Premier League | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Total | 80 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 115 | 18 | ||
| RB Leipzig (loan) | 2018–19[78] | Bundesliga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Huddersfield Town (loan) | 2019–20[79] | Championship | 19 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 2 | ||||
| Fulham | 2024–25[83] | Premier League | 34 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 6 | ||
| 2025–26[84] | Premier League | 26 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 5 | |||
| Total | 60 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 70 | 11 | ||||
| Career total | 162 | 23 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 22 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 210 | 31 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2021 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 November 2021 | San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino | 2 |  San Marino | 7–0 | 10–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | [86] |
Arsenal
England U17
England U21
