Kelly Jayne Smith

 

Kelly Jayne Smith in 2017.

Picture from WikiCommons.

Kelly Jayne Smith is widely regarded as one of the greatest female footballers to play for England. During her career she played as forward, which involved scoring goals and assisting other with creating goals. According to the National Football Museum Kelly was “Renowned as one of the country’s most technically gifted and prolific finishers, Kelly Smith is considered one of the greatest players ever to pull on an England shirt.”

She was born in Watford on the 29^th October 1978 and grew up in the Garston area of Watford. As a child she developed a passion for football. When she travelled to school, she would dribble using a stone and she spent many hours juggling a balloon with her feet. Smith joined the Garston Boys Football Club and earned a reputation as a prolific Goal scorer. By the age of 7 she was the top scorer for the club, but she was then removed after there were complaints from the parents of boys on the opposing football team.

After Garston Boys Football Club, Smith played for Pinner Girls. Then in 1994 she began to play for Wembley Ladies and then in 1996 she joined Arsenal Ladies. Smith then took her career to the United States. At the time the women’s game in England was underdeveloped and the United States was the best place for a female footballer to play.

While in the USA she joined football clubs Seton Hall Pirates, New Jersey Lady Stallions, Philadelphia Charge and New Jersey Wildcats. While playing in the USA she got an injury and as a result Kelly was unable to play for a while. It was during this time she had a problem with alcohol addiction. However, through support from family and attending rehab she overcame her addiction. In 2005 she joined Arsenal Ladies where she scored 100 goals in 112 appearances. Between 2009 and 2012 she played for the Boston Breakers and afterwards she came back to Arsenal where she would play until the end of her club career.

At international Smith made her debut for England in 1995 at the age of 17. She could not take part in the World Cup that year because she was taking her GCSE’s. She would go on to play for England 117 times and she scored 46 goals. Kelly Smith was England’s all-time top goal scorer until her goal tally was recently surpassed by Ellen White.  Kelly Smith would participate in two World Cups and four European Championships for her country.

Smith was undoubtedly one of the greatest female footballers to play the beautiful game. During her career Kelly Smith won four Women’s Premier Leagues, three FA Women’s Cups, two Women’s Premier League Cups and one UEFA Women’s Cup. Fellow footballer Hope Powell has said, “Kelly is one of those players who come along once or twice in a lifetime. In the men’s game you’d think of Maradona or Messi, players with a unique talent, and that’s what Kelly has”. Kelly Smith inspired many girls and women to play football with footballer Leah Williamson saying, “For girls looking up, there was nobody else leading the way like Kelly”.

Smith came out as a lesbian when she retired. She has a wife called DeAnna Dobosz and with her she currently has two children called Rocco and Lucia.