Emile Smith Rowe
Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun has revealed that fellow Hale End graduates Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have urged him to ‘be patient’ as he awaits his Gunners breakthrough. The striker is highly thought of at the Emirates Stadium after progressing through the club’s youth system.
Folarin Balogun said: “I speak to Emile and Bukayo a lot. They tell me to be patient. They tell me it is not an overnight thing, which it hasn’t been for them. It would be naive for me to think that. You just have to keep practicing, then you see the rewards and when you are ready you will take the opportunity. I know I am not at the level I want to be, but I know the performances I am putting in. I know I am going in the right direction.”
The advice imparted to Balogun will certainly come in useful should he choose to follow it, with both Smith Rowe and Saka having established themselves in Mikel Arteta’s side since their breakthroughs.
