Widely regarded as one of England’s greatest ever female footballers, Kelly Smith enjoyed a hugely successful international career. Securing club highlights with Arsenal Ladies and representing her country at the home Olympics, has led Kelly to be seen as a great of the sport. Since retiring, Kelly has maintained her goal record, and her position as a high-profile sporting star, now a regular feature of the media commentating on competitions. Additionally, Kelly is a sought-after speaker for motivational and after dinner talks, able to explore the qualities that she honed to reach peak performance, and other can adopt in their own lives for success.
A dominating player on the international circuit, Kelly represented the English national team for 19 years, making a total of 117 appearances for her country. A skilled and powerful forward, Kelly made her debut aged only 16, a testament to her position as a standout player. Throughout her career, Kelly played in four European Championships, two World Cups and even represented team GB in the London 2012 Olympic Games football squad. One of her greatest achievements with the side is setting the all-time goal-scoring record with 46, a record that remains unbroken to date.
Most prominent in her club career for the time she spent with Arsenal, Kelly enjoyed three spells with the Premier League team. In total, Kelly spent 10 years as a reliable and tactful player, scoring 125 goals for Arsenal Ladies and an impressive nine hat-tricks, one of which was scored within just 16 minutes of coming off the bench in 2014 against Bristol Academy. Present for one of the most successful periods in the sides’ history, Kelly won 20 trophies with Arsenal including four Premier League wins, and three FA Cups, earning herself a place as a football legend.
Since retiring, Kelly has remained in the sporting spotlight as an ambassador and pundit on the likes of FOX Sports. For her extensive contributions to football, Kelly was honoured with an MBE in 2008 and voted in FIFA’s Top 10 Players of the Year on four occasions. An undeniable icon of women’s football, Kelly is the ideal speaker for events, able to share exciting anecdotes from her playing days and the transferable qualities that saw her to succeed.
