It’s been a tough time for Emile Smith Rowe; however, the Englishman has reached the light at the end of the tunnel and made his return to action on Monday night against Oxford United.

The 22-year-old has been on the side-lines for some time after undergoing successful surgery on his groin, speaking to the media after the game the midfielder expressed his delight to be back.

“It’s really good to be back on the pitch with my teammates. It’s difficult being out for this long, but at the same time we are top of the league and playing really well, so I can’t complain!”

The youngster admitted that it’s not the first time that he’s struggled with this nature of injury, as he revealed the groin problem had been an issue for a number of years leading up to him making the decision to undergo surgery.

“I have had this injury since I was 18/19. It has been hard to deal with over the years, but I am really happy that it is just finally over. I had successful surgery, and I am feeling really good.”

Spending such a long time away from the action can obviously have an impact on players, however Smith-Rowe explained his involvement with the team and his desire to remain involved in discussions revolving around training and progression.

“I was pretty much with them [the team] from the start after surgery. I was in all the meetings, trying to keep up with the knowledge and learnings every day that we needed to apply in training.”

The London-born Arsenal man has returned at a dream time considering the next fixture being the North London derby.

Smith-Rowe described Arsenal’s win over Tottenham in 2021 as ‘the best day of his life’ as he scored and assisted in the match at the Emirates.

The midfielder described the atmosphere around the team leading up to the monumental fixture, as Arsenal travel to Tottenham on Sunday.

“I can’t wait, and the lads can’t wait as well. I think it would be massive for us and it couldn’t come at a better time. We are feeling really good at the moment. All the boys know what it means to play in these kinds of games.”

It’s been far from an easy time for Smith-Rowe, however with the worst out of the way, everyone at the club will be thrilled to see the return of the Englishman who clearly lives and breathes Arsenal.

“I’ve been itching to get out there and play, I hope I can make an impact and I hope we have a great rest of the season.”