Taekwondo, stats, painful goodbyes - how Smith became women's first £1m player

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Olivia Smith’s rapid rise in women’s football has been shaped by years of family support, frequent moves and an unusual mix of sporting experiences. The 22-year-old forward, who joined Arsenal from Liverpool in a world-record £1m transfer, has been in the spotlight since making her Canada debut at 15. The article says she became Liverpool’s record signing at £210,000 only a season before Arsenal’s deal, underlining how quickly her value has grown.

The profile traces Smith’s upbringing in Whitby, Canada, and around Toronto, where she played football from a young age, often alongside boys, before switching to girls’ football. It also highlights her Jamaican, Chilean and Peruvian family background and the role of her parents, especially her father Sean, who filmed her matches and tracked her goals to help monitor her progress.

BBC Sport says Smith also practised taekwondo and gymnastics as a child, initially as a response to bullying, but later found those sports helped her agility, discipline and mental toughness. She left home as a teenager to pursue training opportunities, a difficult step that meant giving up familiar places and relationships. The article presents that sacrifice as part of the foundation for her current success at Arsenal.

Smith now appears settled in north London, entering a second season with the club for the first time in her career. Her long-term ambitions remain high, with the BBC noting that she has spoken since childhood about wanting to win major trophies and the Ballon d’Or.