Kelly Smith
An English football pioneer whose technical brilliance and goal-scoring prowess in England and America made her a standard-bearer for a generation of players.
Born 1978 (age 48)·English footballer·Birthday: October 29·Generation X
Biography
Kelly Smith didn't just play football; she carried the hopes of English women's soccer on her shoulders for two decades. Bursting onto the scene with Arsenal, her talent was too vast for one continent. She crossed the Atlantic to Seton Hall University, where she shattered scoring records and announced herself as a global force. Professional stints in the pioneering American leagues, the WUSA and WPS, with Philadelphia and Boston, saw her become a transatlantic star, bringing a new level of technical flair to the game. Yet her heart remained with Arsenal, where she returned to lift the UEFA Women's Cup in 2007, a crowning moment in a club career defined by loyalty and lethal finishing. For England, her 117 caps were a testament to her enduring class, a creative fulcrum and prolific scorer who battled injuries but never diminished her ambition for the Lionesses.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kelly was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kelly Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Kelly's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the UEFA Women's Cup (now Champions League) with Arsenal in 2007.
- Became the all-time leading scorer for Seton Hall University's women's soccer program.
- Earned 117 caps for the England national women's football team, debuting in 1995.
- Played professionally in both the pioneering WUSA and WPS leagues in the United States.
Did You Know?
She has a street named after her, 'Kelly Smith Way', in her hometown of Watford.
She struggled with alcoholism during her time playing in the United States, a battle she has spoken openly about.
She was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2008.
She once scored five goals in a single game for England against Hungary in 2007.
“I played with a smile on my face because I loved it. That's the biggest thing – play with a smile.”
