Arsenal Ladies legend and England record goalscorer Kelly Smith retires after 20 years at the top

Arsenal legend: Smith announced her retirement from the game today
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James Benge11 January 2017

England Women’s all-time record goalscorer Kelly Smith has announced her retirement from professional football.

The Arsenal legend, 38, will take up a full-time coaching role under Pedro Martinez Losa in time for the 2017 Spring Series having worked as a player-coach over recent months. Smith, widely acknowledged to be the greatest English women’s footballer of her generation, scored 46 times in 117 games for the national team between 1995 and 2015 and received an MBE in 2008.

She helped Arsenal Ladies to establish themselves as the preeminent force in the women’s game at the turn of the century, scoring 30 goals in 34 games during Arsenal’s quadruple winning 2006-07 season.

In a statement on her website Smith said: “My deepest thanks to everyone at Arsenal Football Club for making it possible for me to pursue my childhood dream: representing the club I grew up supporting. I am so proud to have been part of the Arsenal family for so many years, and prouder still to have contributed to its many successes and much silverware.

“I'm also grateful for the honour of playing with and against so many outstanding players worldwide.

“One thing has been consistent throughout my playing career: the magnificent support I've received from fans. It has been a pleasure to get to know familiar faces at games, and to read the generous fan mail. Thanks to every one of you for your unflagging support for the game, and for me.”

Smith labelled the 2016 FA Cup Final, her first at Wembley, a career highlight. In the 1-0 win over Chelsea the 37-year-old provided an outstanding performance of maturity and centre-forward play to guide her team-mates to victory against their much-favoured local rivals.

She told Standard Sport of the FA Cup run: “That’s up there as one of the best, it’s for Arsenal, my club team, who I’ve supported since I was a kid. It was my fifth FA Cup but to do it at Wembley, for Arsenal, in front of a record crowd, was unreal.

“It was a little bittersweet, the way the whole cup run unfolded. Maybe we shouldn’t even have been there, if Notts County hadn’t had a player sent off in the quarter finals. Penalties against Birmingham. I think there was a feeling of destiny about it.”

Smith ended her international career in February 2015 after playing in two World Cups and four European Championships. England manager Mark Sampson said: “She will be remembered as one of the greatest players to have played the game.

“The many thousands of young people who took up the game after being inspired by Kelly will never forget the inspiration and joy she brought just from watching her play.

“It will absolutely be a loss to the game on the field. I hope she will now go on to enjoy a wonderful career off the field.”

A testimonial will be held at Borehamwood FC on February 19 to celebrate her career, with a host of past and current stars of the women’s game to play against the current Arsenal side.

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