Sue Smith (footballer)

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 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– Doncaster Rovers Belles
National team‡
1997– England 93 (16)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 August 2011.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:08, 6 March 2012 (UTC)

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

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]

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.[8] One of her brightest England moments was scoring a hat-trick of tremendous goals in a home friendly against Spain in March 2001.[9]

She has twice won the Nationwide International Player Of The Year award – in 1999 and 2001.[10] In 1999 she was also voted Players' Player of the Year.[11]

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][11]

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.[12] In June 2011 she was surprisingly left out of England's 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup squad.[13]

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

2009–10
1995–96
1998–99
1998–99, 2000–01

Media career

In 2000, Smith and her Tranmere team-mates featured in a television advert for Daz washing powder alongside Julian Clary.[14] 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.[15] In November 2010 she opened Chipping Sodbury Secondary School's sports centre.[16]

Personal life

Throughout her career Smith has been recognisable by her striking hairstyles.[17] She is an Everton F.C. supporter.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Player Statistics". FIFA. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
  2. 1 2 "Biography". The Official Sue Smith Website. Retrieved 2012-06-20.
  3. ↑ Sue Smith signs for Lincoln She Kicks, 4 August 2010
  4. 1 2 3 "Smith's shock move to Leeds". TheFA.com. 17 July 2002. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  5. ↑ Lincoln Ladies sign England winger Sue Smith BBC Sport 4 August 2010
  6. ↑ "Sue Smith signs for Doncaster". She Kicks. 2011-12-07. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
  7. ↑ Goodwin, Paul (2012-03-15). "Injury heartache for Doncaster Rovers Belles star Sue Smith". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 2012-03-15.
  8. ↑ Hadfield, Dave (1997-02-28). "England exposed by Muller". The Independent. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  9. ↑ Sue Thearle (2001-03-23). "Smith triple fires England to victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  10. ↑ Sue Thearle (19 June 2001). "Award is timely boost for Smith". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2011-01-02.
  11. 1 2 "F.A. WOMEN'S FOOTBALL AWARDS SPONSORED BY AXA 1998/1999". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
  12. ↑ "England Women awarded contracts". BBC Sport. 14 May 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  13. ↑ Glenn Moore (2011-06-11). "Smith is the surprise omission in Powell's squad for Germany". The Independent. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  14. ↑ Sue Thearle (8 December 2000). "Smith is England gem". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  15. ↑ "England women's footballer Sue Smith receives honorary degree from Edge Hill University". Ormskirk Advertiser. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
  16. ↑ "Sue kicks off sports facilities". Bristol Evening Post. 30 November 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011.
  17. ↑ Small Talk: Sue Smith The Guardian, 28 April 2006
  18. ↑ "Behind the scenes". TheFA.com. Retrieved 2010-09-01.

External links


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