Emile Smith Rowe has insisted that he is ready to "prove" himself at Arsenal after an injury-hit 2022-23 campaign.

Smith Rowe was on the sidelines for around three months last season after undergoing surgery on a long-term groin issue.

The 22-year-old returned to the Arsenal squad in January, but he was unable to force his way into the side in the middle of the Premier League title race.

As a result, Smith Rowe failed to make a single start in the campaign and was restricted to just 14 appearances from the bench.

Despite admitting that it was the "hardest season" of his career, Smith Rowe recently stated that he does not intend to leave the club this summer.

The midfielder was able to gain valuable playing time at the Under-21 European Championships, where he registered two goals and one assist in six games as England went on to claim the silverware.

Smith-Rowe is now preparing for the upcoming 2023-24 season with Arsenal, and he is hoping to contribute to Mikel Arteta's side.

The Arsenal academy graduate told reporters: "I am feeling good, it's good to be back with the boys, back on the pitch with my teammates.

"My ambition is to get some more minutes this season and really push on. Last year was really hard for me, so I just want to kick on now and prove that I can play for this club.

"It was really tough because I had surgery twice, so it was really hard. But my family, friends and the club helped me a lot to get through it. I'm just really happy to be pain free right now and get fit.

"This was my first time having surgery, so it was a really hard decision to take but I went for it. I'm happy that I don't feel anything there anymore. I am really happy to be fully fit now."

Smith Rowe came off the bench to play the final 20 minutes of Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in New Jersey.

The Gunners will continue their pre-season tour on Wednesday when they face the La Liga champions Barcelona at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. body check tags ::