Canada forward Olivia Smith, who apparently gets motion sickness from staying in one place, has broken the £1m transfer barrier and now has her eyes on Sunday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Lyon. The 21-year-old Arsenal forward, boasting nine goals and three assists in her first season in north London, has lived a nomadic football life driven by a relentless desire to climb the ladder without pausing for breath - or unpacking.
As the season reaches its climax, a semi-final clash with Lyon on Sunday serves as proof of how high Smith has climbed. But now she faces uncharted territory: a second season at the same club for the first time in her senior career. “I do feel quite calm now, knowing that I have set down some roots here, but at the end of the day, football is football and you never know what’s next,” she says, as if already eyeing the exit sign. “So I’m always on my toes but, right now, I’m kind of laid-back, just enjoying the time here in the present with Arsenal and looking forward to winning more silverware and growing as a player and a person.”