'I decided I had to quit Arsenal after family meeting - I had to be happy again'

Emile Smith Rowe has opened up about his decision to leave for - admitting it was the "toughest decision I've had to make".

The 24-year-old midfielder, who joined the Gunners in 2010 and became a key player under during the 2020/21 season, revealed he finally feels happy again after making the move to west London.

Despite enjoying the best season of his career with 10 goals in 33 games a year later, injuries and intense competition limited his game time in the following years.

He played just 25 league games combined in his last two seasons at the Emirates before deciding to leave his childhood club for in .

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Speaking to the , Smith Rowe 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, reports .

"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 (to leave). But I spoke to my family and we decided it was the best thing for me."

Smith Rowe has hit the ground running at Craven Cottage, netting two goals in seven appearances with his new club sitting at an impressive eighth place in the Premier League table.

The young star is evidently buzzing months after his move, adding: "Yeah, I can't really speak highly enough of everything around me: the club, all the staff. I am really happy. There's a massive smile on my face."

Smith Rowe's eagerness to lace up for the Cottagers was joined by an allure towards Fulham's blueprint laid out by boss Marco Silva, who impressed him with discussions about the freedom he'd be afforded on the pitch.

Reflecting on his decision, Smith Rowe said: "Just the project that the manager (Marco Silva) spoke to me about, I spoke to him in the summer and we had a really good conversation about the opportunities I would get, where I would be playing and the freedom to express myself.

"That really sucked me into the project, it was mainly that and knowing there were some players here already that I knew would help me settle in."

Fulham, who suffered a close 3-2 defeat against before the international break, are gearing up for their next fixture on Saturday (October 19), where they hope to topple an impressive-looking Aston Villa.

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