Olivia Smith, told by those who know her best...
The Canadian superstar has taken an unconventional route, through the Canadian system, via Portugal, to Liverpool, but those who have coached her tell of a player who was destined for the top...
It’s fair to say Olivia Smith has not taken the conventional route to the top. The word ‘top’ in itself is all relative given Smith is still just 20 years old, but her fledgling talent means she’s been on the radar for much longer than many her own age.
A girl who switched colleges, eventually forgoing her remaining eligibility after one year to go professional in Portugal and is now already playing in England for Liverpool, Canadian superstar Smith is someone who has always known what she’s wanted, to be the best, and has gone her own way to fulfil her promise.
In 2024 alone, she was named the Liga BPI Young Player of the Season after just one year with Sporting CP, and the same award in the CONCACAF Gold Cup after shining for her country.
Growing up in Ontario, her journey began close to home after working her way through various youth clubs before she joined North Toronto Soccer Club when she was just 12 years old.
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“I just remember one moment I came into work,” recalls Chris Vickers, who became Head Coach of the Women’s Programme in March 2016, around the same time Smith started playing for the youth club.
“I was walking around the pitches, and bearing mind she was playing two years up, she pushed through two centre-backs, literally her arms on their shoulders, whipped them out of the way and just leathered the ball into the back of the net.
“I was like ‘holy shit!’ That was abnormal for this country and Toronto, our players don’t usually have that physical presence, but she was absurd, she was explosive.”
Marko Milanovic, who had been the Academy Director at North Toronto SC since 2011 was coaching the group of girls born in 2002, two years prior to Smith, when he first came up against her.
“We played against her and she was absolutely incredible,” recalls Milanovic, who has just been named inaugural head coach of AFC Toronto in the Northern Super League. “I couldn’t believe when they said she was two years younger. We were an Under 14s group and she was 12 years old.
“The following season, she came across and played two years up with my girls for three years and dominated the league. It was the highest league in the Ontario state, she was scoring two goals a game!”
Her physical state and strength is a common topic of focus among all those who speak about Smith and why she stood out so much coming through the ranks in Ontario, and it wasn’t long before her talent was being noticed elsewhere, her attributes almost unique compared to many coming through the system at the same time.
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