Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal have unearthed a potential superstar in Emile Smith Rowe, comparing his playing style to that of Alexander Hleb and Robert Pires.
Aston Villa had two offers rejected for Smith Rowe in the summer and the 21-year-old then signed a new long-term deal with boyhood club Arsenal, taking over the No.10 shirt previously worn by the likes of Mesut Ozil, Robin van Persie and Bergkamp.
The added responsibility seems to have taken Smith Rowe’s game to another level, with the player playing a major role in Arsenal’s resurgence this campaign and scoring three goals in his last three Premier League matches.
Smith Rowe’s rise continued as he replaced Marcus Rashford and James Ward-Prowse in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for their World Cup qualifiers versus Albania and San Marino.
Legendary former Manchester United defender Ferdinand feels Smith Rowe has been key to Arsenal’s revival and waxed lyrical about the youngster on his Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE YouTube channel.
‘There’s a team, there’s a united team. There’s a togetherness that I haven’t seen at Arsenal for a long time,’ Ferdinand said while reflecting on Arsenal’s ten-match unbeaten streak in all competitions.
‘There’s nobody doing more right now than Emile Smith Rowe. ‘He reminds me, with more end product it seems right now and I think he’ll go onto levels, his style is a little bit Hleb.
‘He plays low, socks similar, the way he moves and manipulates the ball, can keep people off balance all game. He’s got a bit of Hleb about him! ‘He’s got a Robert Pires vibe a little bit.’
Arsenal won their fourth game on the bounce at the weekend through Smith Rowe’s controlled 20-yard effort against Watford in the Premier League.
While speaking to Sky Sports after Arsenal’s win, Smith Rowe said he was pleased the hard yards he was putting in on the training ground were paying off.
‘It was a difficult game for us today. Watford are a strong team. Happy we got the three points,’ he stated. ‘I am happy to score I have been practicing during training. It is really special and doing it at home and in front of our fans is even better.
‘We have been working really hard, really important we got three points today.
‘I think we always believed in ourselves and each other. It was just about coming together as a team and we are such a family.’
