The cream of England

By Luke McLaughlin & Chris Burke

George Bernard Shaw famously described England and America as two countries divided by a common language, and Arsenal LFC forward Kelly Smith admits she needed help to grasp the full extent of her incredible impact Stateside.

Shirt retired
Before becoming the first English player to sign for a professional club in the United States, the Watford-born striker scored an impressive 76 goals in 51 games for Seton Hall College in New Jersey, and the grateful university immediately retired her No.6 shirt - an honour previously reserved for a select few basketballers. "Because it's not a tradition over in England, I didn't know what a big deal it was until someone sat me down and said: 'Do you realise what this means?'" she told uefa.com.

Unfamiliar compliment
It was not the first unfamiliar compliment Smith, an England veteran at the age of 26, had received, having once been asked to leave a team because the boys complained she was too good, but Smith also has a raft of more orthodox titles to match her talents. She lifted the Premier League trophy during her first spell at Arsenal in 1996 and, after moving to Seton Hall on a football scholarship a year later, was voted 'Big East Conference’ offensive player of the year for three seasons running in the fiercely competitive American collegiate system.

Groundbreaking move
Then came her groundbreaking move to the Philadelphia Charge in 2001, and though her three years in the full time game were often blighted by injury, Smith was given the captain's armband in her last two seasons, and her ruthless eye for goal made her an instant favourite with the home crowd. Now back at the club she supported as a child after the Women's League was wound up in the US, she has her sights set on winning over supporters on this side of the Atlantic when England play host to UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2005™.

Big crowds
"Home advantage will be a big plus for us," she says. "It will be like having a 12th player out there so hopefully the crowds will turn out in force to cheer us on. It can really help us to raise the level of our game if the fans get behind us." Having graced the famous white shirt since she was 16, Smith knows better than most what can make the difference at international level, and her experience of regularly playing before six to seven thousand spectators with Philadelphia is sure to come in handy too.

Pichon praise
She has also mixed it with some of the best players in the world, and is well-placed to identify the biggest threats to England's challenge: "I'd have to single out Marinette Pichon, the France attacker. I was lucky enough to have the chance to play with her out in the States and she's one of the best finishers in the women's game. Of course, Germany will always be favourites. With Birgit Prinz and a lot of their other players, they are so hard to stop going forward."

Injury problems
Smith is experienced enough to know she and her team-mates face a formidable task in June, but once again her major adversary could turn out to be the injuries that have so often held her back in recent times. "It's been such a frustrating three years," she says. "To be honest, I've thought about quitting the game after experiencing so many setbacks. It's really been an emotional rollercoaster for me, but I'm staying positive and hopefully I can recover and play a big part in EURO 2005.”

Young stars
Every England fan will be praying that she will, and Smith herself cannot wait to turn out alongside some of the young stars coach Hope Powell has at her disposal, saying: "Carol Williams is very talented and is learning in every game she plays. Emily Westwood at Wolves is also relatively inexperienced, but her quality on the ball is second to none and she has a big future ahead of her."

Dream return
Having made her return to the Arsenal side on 24 April and promptly scored the goal against Charlton Athletic FC that clinched another Premier League title, Smith and England have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. If Smith is fighting fit and terrorising defences as only she can, the tournament hosts will be forgiven for dreaming of a title that needs no explanation – that of European champions.