Arsenal: Emile Smith Rowe more Dan Crowley or Aaron Ramsey?

Arsenal have had talented young midfielders pop up before. And it will happen again. But where does Emile Smith Rowe fit on the sliding schedule?

Hype is a pain in the arse. Anytime a young player sprouts up out of nowhere and claims the attention of everyone, the world is immediately expected out of him. Arsenal have had this happen numerous times in the past.

Alex Iwobi is the latest to have the world expected out of him and he is currently in the process of deciding just how much of that he can deliver on.

But he was not the first and he won’t be the last. Now, it is Emile Smith Rowe’s turn. The 17-year old had himself a fantastic match for the Gunners against Atletico Madrid, stationed as the No. 10 in a senior-heavy squad, and it was he that scored a sensational goal to level the match.

It was enough to pile the hype even higher on the young man, and now people are asking – is he the next big thing? Better yet, can he impact the first team this year? Unai Emery seems to think quite highly of him, claiming that he is doing Smith Rowe no favors at all, but rather that the youngster earned his place himself.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

17 is too early of an age to get a gauge on anyone. He could end up the next Dan Crowley, having “the world at his feet” before fading away into a world of obscurity, or he could be the next Aaron Ramsey, capable of the types of heroics you’d never expect to see out of someone so young.

Whatever the case, it is an ongoing quest, and one that we likely won’t know the result of any time soon. In a perfect world, he steps up into the first team this year, makes a show of it, solidifies himself, and we have one of the best midfielders in the world by the time he’s 20.

Worst case is he pulls a Crowley, drowns in the hype and disappears by the time he’s 20.

As you can see, there is a lot of middle ground. He doesn’t have to be the next anybody, Crowley, Ramsey, Jack Wilshere anyone.

In fact, it would be better if he wasn’t. Because then he can be judged based on his own standards, and not on anyone else’s.

Still, I would absolutely love for any lingering midfield problems to be solved by a 17 year old. That would be pretty satisfying.