Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith is considered to be the greatest ever female footballer, best known for her time playing with the Aston Villa Ladies club. With an impressive tally of 177 caps and 46 goals, Kelly holds records that are unlikely to be beaten. In her youth, Kelly attended Seton Hall University in America, where she began her footballing career playing for Seton Hall Pirates. During her first year with the team, she set records at the Big East Conference, after being the only athlete claiming the title of both Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the same season. In the following two seasons she became the leading scorer in the whole of the NCAA Division I, as well as being named Big East Offensive Player of the Year for both seasons.

After Kelly finished her studies at the university she stayed in America, joining the New Jersey Lady Stallions in her first bid as a professional footballer. In the early 2000s, Kelly left the team to join a new top-flight women’s league, the Women’s United Soccer Association. In this league she played for Philadelphia Charge, being named in the 2001 WUSA Global 11 All-Star team. After the 2003 season, the league ceased operations, and Kelly moved to play for New Jersey Wildcats. Unfortunately, Kelly broke her leg and was only able to play in eight games for the club.

In 2004 Kelly moved back to the UK and began playing for Arsenal. She struggled with injury before making her comeback with a goal from 30 metres away in a match against Charlton Athletic. This match was very significant for the team, with Kelly’s goal claiming the Premier League title for the team. Kelly left quite a mark on the team, having played in 66 Premier League games, 16 FA Cup games, 10 League Cup games, 18 UEFA Women’s Cup games and two Community Shield games. By the end of her time with the team, she had scored 100 goals, and in her last match for the team, she scored a hat-trick that saw Arsenal win in the FA Women’s Premier League Cup. She was awarded FA Women’s Players Player of the Year in both 2006 and 2007.

After leaving Arsenal, Kelly joined another American team this time playing for the Boston Breakers. She played with the team for a short period of time before returning to play for Arsenal. Alongside playing for American teams and Arsenal, Kelly also earnt a number of caps for the English national team. She has competed in the UEFA Women’s Championships in 2001, 2005 and 2009 as well as the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup with England. She became England’s all-time record goalscorer in 2010 after scoring her 41st international goal. In 2008 she was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire. With a diverse history in both domestic and international football, Kelly has the ability to provide a unique insight into the sport. With drive and determination fuelling every move throughout her career, Kelly has reputable qualities for football speaking at all manner of events.