Kelly Smith: Who is Soccer Aid player and former England football international?

Kelly Smith scores for England at the 2007 World Cup

Legendary former England and Arsenal footballer Kelly Smith is returning to action this weekend, as she prepares to play alongside former teammate Faye Williams at Soccer Aid 2021.

Smith is one of the most recognisable names in women’s footballing history, after earning 177 caps for England and scoring 46 goals for the Lionesses between 1995 and 2014. After retiring from all forms of football in 2017, Smith is returning to Soccer Aid after also playing in last year’s match.

Smith started her footballing career with Arsenal Ladies back in 1996, but soon became something of a pioneer, after becoming one of the first English players to go and play in America.

Following stints with New Jersey Lady Stallions, Philadelphia Charge, and the New Jersey Wildcats, Smith would return to her beloved Arsenal in 2005 – almost a decade after first leaving the club. What followed a truly remarkable spell, as the lethal forward bagged 73 goals in 66 games for the club across a four-year stint.

She wasn’t short of silverware either, as Arsenal won every Premier League title between 2003 and 2008 bar one. In the same period, they also won the FA Cup on three occasions, and made history by becoming the first English team to win the Champions League in 2007.

Smith was an integral part of the Gunners’ success, which she would subsequently recreate for England in the years to come. After finishing third in the voting for FIFA’s 2007 World Player of The Year award, Smith went on to star for England in the 2009 UEFA European Championships, where England would reach the final before losing 6-2 to Germany.

The following year, she became England’s all-time top scorer, after grabbing her 41st international goal against Switzerland. The 2011 World Cup, where England would reach the Quarter-finals, would be the forward’s last major tournament, as she would retire from international football in February 2015.

However, that wasn’t to be the end of her footballing journey completely. After a brief spell in America, Smith returned to Arsenal for the final time, where injuries unfortunately hampered her progress. It was a frustrating end to what had been a truly incredible career.

Sunday’s game will see Smith make her second Soccer Aid appearance after also featuring in last year’s event. However, with 45,000 fans expected to be in attendance at the Etihad, the 2021 match promises to be a very different spectacle indeed.

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