Smith Rowe details diet and lifestyle changes which helped earn England call-up

Emile Smith Rowe has found a recipe for success after being given his own private chef.

Arsenal have laid on a cook to make Smith Rowe's meals every night to improve his diet by cutting out takeaways, chocolate and fizzy drinks.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has praised Smith Rowe's recent displays and said his "lifestyle changes" have been a huge part of his upturn in form which won his first senior England call-up.

Smith Rowe, 21, who has scored in each of his last three games, said: "I didn't used to eat that well to be honest. I used to get cramp after 60 minutes and stuff.

"I wasn't eating great, I wasn't drinking that well, before games I wasn't really that hydrated but since then I've tried to focus so much on it.

"Maybe that was killing me a little bit. I've tried to cut out chocolate and takeaways as much as I can. I like Nandos a lot. But I'm always eating from home now.

"My family have helped me a lot in the house as well, cooking for me. It was mainly my diet, nutrition and stuff like that. That's really helped me.

"The club have sorted me out a chef and stuff, they come to my house now. I live with my mum. My mum normally cooks but she doesn't have to cook more."

Smith Rowe has been a revelation for Arsenal this season after establishing himself as a regular since Boxing Day last year in a 3-1 win over Chelsea - and ironically he could have easily been playing for the Blues.

But Smith-Rowe was rejected by Chelsea as an eight-year-old for being too small while Tottenham wanted to sign him at 16 and there was also interest from Barcelona.

"I went in to Chelsea for about three or four weeks, but at the time I was quire small, really skinny and just kept getting pushed off the ball," said Smith-Rowe.

"I wasn't getting involved and touching the ball enough, that's what it felt like at the time, why I didn't get in. But these things happen and I'm happy to be at Arsenal now.

"I think Spurs were interested when I was about 15 or 16. I wasn't that interested to be honest, being an Arsenal fan, although it's good to have all these teams interested.

"My dad is a Spurs fan as well. But me and my brother are both Arsenal fans and I always looked up to him, so I followed that. It was just a generation thing, seeing the legends who were playing there at the time. Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, those sort of players."

Smith Rowe was part of England's under-17s World Cup winning team in 2017 but while Phil Foden and Callum Hudson-Odoi broke into their first teams earlier, Arsenal's No. 10 has had to be patient.

However, Smith-Rowe did bide his time and is now getting the rewards especially as he has found a special partnership and understanding with Bukayo Saka for Arsenal - and now potentially England.

Who will be the best footballer in 2025? Predict yours by voting below.

Arsenal fans have now given the pair their own song for the pair to the tunes of Status Quo's Rocking All Over the World which goes: "I like it, I like it, I like it, here we go, Saka & Emile Smith Rowe.

Smith-Rowe said: "Me and Bukayo are always laughing about it and sometimes it gets played in the changing room, some of the lads are making a joke about it. It's funny but I didn't think the fans would've made a song about us, to be honest.

"Growing up, coming through the academy, it makes it extra special that they've got a song about us and it's funny sometimes when we hear it on the pitch as well. It's crazy."