Sue Smith (footballer)

Susan Jane "Sue" Smith (born 24 November 1979) is an English international footballer who last played for Doncaster Rovers Belles and England. She is an experienced left–sided winger or forward.[3]

Sue Smith

Smith in July 2009
Personal information
Full name	Susan Jane Smith[1]
Date of birth	(1979-11-24) 24 November 1979
Place of birth	Prescot,[2] England
Height	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[2]
Playing position(s)	Winger, Forward
Club information
Current team	Doncaster Rovers Belles
Number	8
Youth career
	Rainhill United
	St. Helens
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–2002	Tranmere Rovers
2002–2010	Leeds United
2010–2011	Lincoln Ladies	14	(2)
2011–2017	Doncaster Rovers Belles
National team^‡
1997–2018	England	93	(16)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 August 2011 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:08, 6 March 2012 (UTC)

Club career

Smith played for Tranmere Rovers since she was a teenager, but after years of fielding several offers from top clubs around the country, she signed on for Leeds United (known as Leeds Carnegie from 2008 until 2010) in the summer of 2002.[4]

Following the failure of Leeds' bid to join the FA WSL, Smith signed for Lincoln Ladies in August 2010.[5] In December 2011 Smith joined Doncaster Rovers Belles, who had tried to sign her on two previous occasions. Belles manager John Buckley described the capture of Smith as "a tremendous coup for the club".[6] Smith scored on her Belles debut in a 2–1 FA Women's Cup win at Barnet, but was later carried off with damaged cruciate and medial ligaments. When she was subsequently ruled out for at least nine months, Buckley rued "a disaster for Sue and a disaster for the club."[7]

After some injuries she left Doncaster before the 2017 season.[8] She never announced her retirement from football, but has not played since the end of the 2016 season.

International career

Smith made her England debut as a 17–year–old substitute in February 1997, scoring in a 6–4 friendly defeat to Germany at Deepdale in Preston.[9] One of her brightest England moments was scoring a hat-trick of tremendous goals in a home friendly against Spain in March 2001.[10]

She has twice won the Nationwide International Player Of The Year award – in 1999 and 2001.[11] In 1999 she was also voted Players' Player of the Year.[12]

Before winning the 1999 awards, Smith represented her country when she was picked to play in a FIFA XI against the USA in a showpiece match in San Jose.[4][12]

She made her domestic comeback at the start of the 2002–03 season after suffering a broken leg and torn ligament damage after a training ground accident in February,[4] and after featuring in the series of friendlies in the build-up to Euro 2005, narrowly missed selection in the final 20.

Smith bounced back in the best possible way, scoring against Austria in the first World Cup qualifier of the campaign, and was twice runner-up in the FA Women's Cup with her club Leeds United.

In May 2009, Smith was one of the first 17 female players to be given central contracts by The Football Association.[13] In June 2011 she was surprisingly left out of England's 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup squad.[14]

International goals

Scores and results list England's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Result	Competition	Scored
1	27 February 1997	Deepdale, Preston	Germany	4–6	Friendly	1
2	30 October 1997	Upton Park, London	Netherlands	1–0	1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.	1
3	13 September 1998	Stadionul Poiana, Câmpina	Romania	4–1	1999 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.	1
4	17 October 1999	Sportanlagen Trinermatten, Zofingen	Switzerland	1–0	2001 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.	1
5	20 February 2000	Estádio do Sport Grupo Sacavenense, Lisbon	Portugal	2–2	2001 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.	1
6	23 April 2000	Oakwell, Barnsley	Portugal	2–0	2001 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.	1
7	13 May 2000	Memorial Ground, Bristol	Switzerland	1–0	2001 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.	1
8	28 November 2000	Brisbane Road, London	Ukraine	2–0	2001 UEFA Women's Championship Qual.	1
11	22 March 2001	Kenilworth Road, Luton	Spain	4–2	Friendly	3
12	13 March 2005	Estádio Fernando Cabrita, Lagos	Mexico	5–0	Algarve Cup	1
13	1 September 2005	Ertl-Glas Stadion, Amstetten	Austria	4–1	2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.	1
14	20 April 2006	Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham	Austria	4–0	2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qual.	1
16	9 March 2011	Dasaki Stadium, Akhna	South Korea	2–0	Cyprus Cup	2

Honours

• FA Women's Premier League Cup: 1

2009–10

• FA Women's Premier League Northern Division: 1

1995–96

• FA Players' Player of the Year Award: 1

1998–99

• FA International Player of the Year Award: 2

1998–99, 2000–01

Media career

In 2000, Smith and her Tranmere teammates featured in a television advert for Daz washing powder alongside Julian Clary.[15] Smith was later a regular contributor to the Yorkshire Evening Post's women's football section, and also offered her views and commentary skills for BBC sport. Most recently Smith appeared alongside Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in his three-part Sky1 show 'Street Striker'.

In July 2009 Smith was awarded an honorary degree by Edge Hill University.[16] In November 2010 she opened Chipping Sodbury Secondary School's sports centre.[17]

She has also appeared as a co-presenter on EFL on Quest, an EFL highlights show on Quest.[18]

Personal life

Throughout her career Smith has been recognisable by her striking hairstyles.[19] She is an Everton F.C. supporter.[20]

References

1. "Player Statistics". FIFA. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
2. "Biography". The Official Sue Smith Website. Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
3. Sue Smith signs for Lincoln She Kicks, 4 August 2010
4. "Smith's shock move to Leeds". TheFA.com. 17 July 2002. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
5. Lincoln Ladies sign England winger Sue Smith BBC Sport 4 August 2010
6. "Sue Smith signs for Doncaster". She Kicks. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
7. Goodwin, Paul (15 March 2012). "Injury heartache for Doncaster Rovers Belles star Sue Smith". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
8. "Former England star Sue Smith leaves Doncaster Rovers Belles". doncasterfreepress.co.uk. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
9. Hadfield, Dave (28 February 1997). "England exposed by Muller". The Independent. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
10. Sue Thearle (23 March 2001). "Smith triple fires England to victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
11. Sue Thearle (19 June 2001). "Award is timely boost for Smith". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
12. "F.A. WOMEN'S FOOTBALL AWARDS SPONSORED BY AXA 1998/1999". PR Newswire. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
13. "England Women awarded contracts". BBC Sport. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
14. Glenn Moore (11 June 2011). "Smith is the surprise omission in Powell's squad for Germany". The Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
15. Sue Thearle (8 December 2000). "Smith is England gem". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
16. "England women's footballer Sue Smith receives honorary degree from Edge Hill University". Ormskirk Advertiser. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
17. "Sue kicks off sports facilities". Bristol Evening Post. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
18. https://www.questod.co.uk/show/efl-on-quest/video/season-1-episode-24/EHD_224099C
19. Small Talk: Sue Smith The Guardian, 28 April 2006
20. "Behind the scenes". TheFA.com. Retrieved 1 September 2010.

External links

• Official website
• Sue Smith at The FA website