Olivia Smith has made history by winning the PFA Women's Young Player of the Year award for a second straight season. The Arsenal Women striker is only the second player to achieve the feat, following Lauren Hemp's run of three awards between 2019 and 2022.
Smith, 22, was presented with the honour on Thursday. The award is voted for by fellow players across the Women's Super League, a fact the Canadian international highlighted as particularly meaningful. "Playing against these girls week in and week out, and having them vote for you as Young Player of the Year, that just shows so much respect," Smith said. "So it's just a really great feeling."
Her second campaign with Arsenal is already underway, with Smith scoring in a 5-1 pre-season friendly win over Charlton Athletic on Wednesday. She joined the Gunners last summer in a record-breaking £1 million transfer from Liverpool and scored 10 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions in her debut season.
Settled and aiming higher
Smith emphasised the value of stability, noting this is the first time she has played for the same professional club in consecutive seasons. "I am so grateful to call Arsenal my home now," she stated. "And I'm so privileged to be able to say that and to finally feel like I have somewhere to grow over the next couple years."
Canada's national team head coach, Casey Stoney, praised Smith's development since the move. "She's a special talent. We all know that," Stoney said. "I haven't seen anyone who can strike a ball quite like her in the female game, and when she hits it, it stays hit."
Smith has earned 23 caps for Canada, contributing four goals and four assists. Her creativity will be vital as Canada aims to qualify for the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics through the CONCACAF W Championship in November. The team will host Denmark in friendlies in Montreal on October 9 and Toronto on October 12 ahead of that key tournament. Check the upcoming schedule on our fixtures page.
"We want to be at the World Cup. We want to be at the Olympics, and we're really pushing to get there," Smith said of the national team's ambitions. The prospect of playing in front of family in Canada this autumn is, she added, "everything." Arsenal Women's next competitive fixture is their WSL season opener on the weekend of September 20.
