January 10, 2005

Kelly Smith returns to Arsenal

She grew up in North West London, and after playing for Pinner Park, Wembley and Arsenal moved to the USA on a soccer scholarship at Seton Hall University in 1997. In her three year career from there she was one of the greatest athletes in their sports history, taking their team to a new level and with 76 goals in 51 matches won the national player of the Year award: the Hermann Trophy. She was quickly recruited by WUSA and was considered as on of the leagues best players, although was beset by injuries in the latter years. After WUSA collapsed Smith played for the New Jersey Wildcats in the W-League. She is considered by many as the best player in England. Her forced absence from the National Team because of injuries left an obvious gap in their attacking and finishing ability. The Arsenal club is already a strong contender for three domestic trophies, plus a place in the UEFA Champions Cup semi-finals. Smith will link up there with Scottish International Julie Fleeting, another ex-WUSA player, and Angela Banks is returning also.  The next six months promises to be an exciting time for club, country, and fans.