Arsenal's record-breaking signing Olivia Smith was named Women's PFA Young Player of the Year at Tuesday's PFA Awards, beating two Lionesses.
Smith named PFA Young Player of the YearForm persuaded Arsenal to pay world-record feeBeats out Lionesses Beever-Jones and ClintonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Smith was superb for Liverpool last season, so superb that Arsenal decided to fork out a £1 million ($1.35m) fee to make the 20-year-old the most expensive female footballer of all-time just last month. Her nine goals for a team that managed just 22 as a whole was enough to earn her recognition at the PFA Awards, too, with her fellow pros voting her the Young Player of the Year.
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Smith had stern competition for the accolade as well. Also nominated were Mary Fowler, whose league-leading seven assists were enough to put her in the mix for the main Player of the Year award; Aggie Beever-Jones, the young England star who top-scored for treble-winning Chelsea; Grace Clinton, another promising Lioness who stood out for Manchester United; plus two more talented prospects in the Blues' dominant year, in Wieke Kaptein and Maika Hamano.
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Making Smith's season all the more impressive was the fact that it was her first in the WSL. Having enjoyed a senior breakthrough at Sporting in Portugal the year prior, Liverpool paid a club-record fee to bring the then-19-year-old over to Merseyside and the way she took to her new challenge had few believing the Reds would be able top keep hold of her for long. Indeed, it was just one season in the end.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SMITH AND ARSENAL?
Now, Smith has a new big task ahead, as she looks to break into the Gunners' first-team on a regular basis this coming season. Her club debut could come on the WSL's opening weekend, with Arsenal to start at the Emirates against newly-promoted London City Lionesses on September 6.
