Liverpool FC Ladies are delighted to substantiate the signing of Canada worldwide Olivia Smith from Sporting CP.
The 19-year-old, who can play in midfield and assault, put pen to paper on her Reds contract on the AXA Melwood Coaching Centre, topic to worldwide clearance.
Smith arrives at Liverpool after a sensational first season as an expert in Portugal with Sporting, the place she was named Finest Younger Participant of the Campeonato Nacional Feminino.
She produced 13 targets and 9 assists from her 18 league appearances as her aspect secured Ladies’s Champions League qualification by ending runners-up to Benfica.
Smith stated: “Now that I’m lastly right here within the facility, I obtained to see a bit of little bit of Liverpool, I completely find it irresistible and I’m super-excited.
“It’s positively a prestigious membership as a complete and likewise for my dad it’s essential for him – that is the membership he’s been watching and following since he was youthful. So, it’s very cool to truly be part of this factor and get this chance.
“I believe it’s super-exciting as a result of we have now such a younger crew and [last] season they had been superb. I’m excited to be part of a squad like this.”
For Canada, Smith turned her nation’s youngest-ever participant when she debuted aged 15 years and 94 days again in November 2019 and so far has 10 senior caps to her title.
She featured on the 2023 Ladies’s World Cup and acquired the Younger Participant of the Match prize on the Concacaf W Gold Cup earlier this 12 months.
Smith performed for North Toronto Nitros in her homeland after which at Penn State College earlier than making the change to Sporting in July 2023.
She continued: “I believe the most important factor for me is, ‘The place can I develop?’ And that comes right down to the coach and the workers, and I believe Matt [Beard] has proved that he’s positively somebody who will help me develop and this is without doubt one of the greatest leagues on the earth.
“Having come right here after my first professional season is unbelievable and I’m very excited to study and develop and grow to be the very best that I might be.”
LFC Ladies supervisor Beard has been following Smith’s profession for a while and spoke of his delight at securing her signature.
He stated: “Lots of work has gone into it, we’ve been monitoring her now for the final year-and-a-half.
“I’m excited; followers needs to be excited by her too. She’s a implausible expertise, and a fantastic persona as effectively. Hopefully we will see that persona and that expertise on the pitch.
“The conversations that we’ve had, the video games that we’ve watched, we’re actually wanting ahead to working along with her.
“She’s obtained so many high quality attributes – she’s fast, two-footed, [can] rating, help, can sort out. Undoubtedly my sort of participant.
“I believe the very first thing that everybody is aware of we take a look at is the work ethic, and she or he’s obtained that in abundance. Her angle to wish to enhance is implausible. Fingers crossed that she will enhance right here and kick on from the place she left off from Sporting.
“We’re actually excited by Olivia.”
Smith will put on the No. 11 shirt for LFC Ladies in 2024/25 and joins the Reds for an undisclosed payment.
