Key Takeaways
- Olivia Smith says she now feels calm after finally staying at one club for a second season.
- The 21-year-old Canada striker has scored nine goals since her record £1m move to Arsenal last summer.
- Smith believes Arsenal can beat Lyon in Sunday’s Champions League semi-final first leg.
Olivia Smith is enjoying her first taste of stability. The 21-year-old forward has packed many moves into her short career, but she will soon start a second season at the same club for the first time.
Smith sits in the lounge at Arsenal’s London Colney base, relaxed and smiling. On the pitch she is fast and fearless; off it she calls herself “a nerd” who loves video games and Netflix.
Her journey began in Canada, where her father coached her first team at age three. She became Canada’s youngest senior international at 15, but a serious knee injury almost ended her dream. A fresh start in Portugal with Sporting restored her love for the game, and last year Liverpool brought her to England. Seven goals and the PFA Young Player award followed.
Arsenal then paid a women’s-football record £1m for her services. Nine goals and three assists later, she is preparing to face Lyon in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Sunday.
“Lyon are full of quality, but we believe in ourselves,” Smith says. “Being holders brings pressure, yet we focus on the match, not the label.”
Smith has settled quickly in north London, learning daily from senior team-mates such as Beth Mead and Alessia Russo, and from club coach Kelly Smith. She also connects with fans through the “Block by Block” project, even choosing her own goal song, Pepas, which blasted out after her stunning strike against London City Lionesses.
“Roots feel nice,” she admits, “yet football can change fast. Right now I’m happy here, chasing trophies and growing every day.”