“It is a huge honour to receive the OFC Women’s Player of the Year 2012 and I am truly grateful for the recognition, especially given the talent that has been emerging from OFC lately,” Smith says.
“2012 already seems so long ago, but it really is an honour and carries significant meaning because it’s nice to feel that I left on more of a high, given the successes of the team’s I was a part of.”
Smith spent 2012 playing in the Frauen-Bundesliga for VfL Wolfsburg at the centre of a solid defence. The side finished runners-up in the 2011/12 domestic season and qualified for the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League.
At national level Smith captained the Football Ferns through Stage 2 of the Olympic qualifiers in New Zealand and on to a quarter-final finish at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London – the first time the team has exited the group stages at this tournament.
“From my club career, my personal highlight of 2012 was qualifying for the UEFA Champions League with my club team VfL Wolfsburg, since that was always a goal of mine,” she says.
“And with the Football Ferns of course the London Olympics, which were just an incredible experience both on and off the pitch.
“The feeling that our Football Ferns had going into that tournament was such a positive one, and even though we made history qualifying for the quarter-finals, we all felt that had the ball bounced just a little bit differently – we could have accomplished even more.”
Smith brought her career to a close in 2013 and says the positive energy forged by the Ferns efforts in London has carried on which gives her a great feeling about the future.
“Knowing that the Football Ferns will really accomplish great things in the years to come is a current highlight.
“Receiving this award also has special meaning knowing that there are so many really talented women players coming out of Oceania that are also deserving of recognition.
“I really cherish those times representing New Zealand internationally, and thank OFC for the award.”
Smith may have hung up her boots, but the draw of football has proven too strong with the 32-year-old taking up a role with FIFA as Manager of Competitions for Women’s Football, based in Zurich, Switzerland.

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