Olivia Smith described joining us as a dream come true after she put pen to paper on a new deal at Arsenal.
Arriving from Liverpool, the Canadian forward spoke about her emotions surrounding a transfer to the UEFA Women’s Champions League winners.
“It's a privilege and an honour,” she told us in her first interview as a Gunner. “Everything that Arsenal has accomplished is just so massive, and for me to now be a part of that, I'm very excited.
“I think it's always a very difficult decision to make a change, but at the end of the day, I always want to grow, and I think that's been my philosophy going through my career ever since I was young. I just want to find new ways to grow, learn from different coaches, learn from different teammates.
“I just felt like now is the right time, and it's always been my dream to play for a club like Arsenal as well, and they're doing so well again, so I'm excited to be here.”
Last season was Smith’s first in the Women’s Super League, but she didn’t look out of place at all, going on to be nominated for the Professional Game Association’s Player of the Season and Rising Star awards.
“It wasn't easy,” she said, reflecting on 2024/25. “I think even in my pre-season, I struggled a bit because the type of football I was used to was completely different to what it is here. It's very physical here. I was in more of a technical league, so coming here, I think I was a bit shocked by how physical everything was, but I think I was able to settle in pretty nicely after a couple months.
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“I think just learning to be stronger, both mentally and physically. I mean, the mental toll that it takes, even just in this league, is crazy.
“I find that I'm very technical, quick. I like to move quickly with the ball, and I think that's key. And then also just being able to use my teammates. Especially my defensive work has improved a lot, so I'd say that's also important in my game too.”
We asked Smith what it’s like to be joining the champions of Europe, and how she’s feeling about catching up with Jenna Nighswonger and Taylor Hinds, who she knows already.
“Unreal,” she said. “This is a dream of mine, and for them to have a record like this is amazing, and I want to continue that record with this team. It's been a dream of mine for a while now, and I think I've mentioned that quite a few times before, so I'm really happy to be a part of that.
“Honestly, even just playing against these top players, I'd have to say, to have Leah to be playing balls in behind, to have Alessia up top. Chloe, even McCabe, even though we had our duels - I think that's just going to be a really fun connection there.
“I was at Florida State with Jenna only for about six months. She was my mentor there. So to have another familiar face as well as Taylor, is really nice."
Growing up in Canada, Smith went on to become the youngest player to make a senior debut for the country, handling the pressure with aplomb.
“Football was still growing, but we had a major face like Christine Sinclair in Canada soccer, so that was massive for me,” she said. “For me to look up to her, and I've always looked up to her and wanted to do what she was doing, so for me to actually be able to do that and then eventually be on the same stage as her, was massive. She was a big role model for me, and I think she kind of painted the picture in Canada for football.
“I find that I'm able to handle a lot of those pressures pretty well, so I didn't really feel much of a negative effect from all that, but it was definitely an honour to be able to do it at such a young age and also just handle it the way that I did.”
"Being an opponent at Emirates Stadium is a nightmare! To have the atmosphere behind me now is going to be unreal."
Now, Smith gets to look forward to stepping out at Emirates Stadium in an Arsenal shirt for the first time.
“I'm really looking forward to it,” she said. “Being on the opposition side, it's a nightmare, I can tell you that. The atmosphere is amazing, so to have that behind us now and behind me to make a debut there is going to be unreal.
“I’m super excited. I love to put on a show for our fans, especially just technically, the flair. I think everyone loves that and I think that makes the game really exciting. So I think that's what they're all looking forward to as well.
“I just really want to contribute to the team with wins. I want to go to the Champions League and win that. Win the cups. And then as a person, I just want to grow, meet new people, learn new things, and that's the biggest thing for me. I just want to continue to grow as a person here.”
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