Interview with Olivia Smith: ‘Signing for Liverpool is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’

The Canadian international became the Reds’ first addition of the summer transfer window on Tuesday, subject to international clearance, arriving after a sensational first season as a professional at Portugal’s Sporting CP.

Shortly after putting pen to paper on her contract at the AXA Melwood Training Centre, Liverpoolfc.com caught up with Smith to get her reaction to the move and find out what fans can expect from her.

See the full interview with the 19-year-old below…

Olivia, congratulations, you are a Liverpool player. Has it sunk in yet?

I think now that I’m finally here in the building, I’ve been able to see a bit of Liverpool, I absolutely love it and I’m super excited.

It’s a club that’s really special for your family too, isn’t it?

It’s definitely a prestigious club as a whole and also for my dad it’s very important to him – this is the club he follows and has followed since he was younger. So it’s really cool to be a part of this and to get this opportunity.

That can’t be the only influence, the fact that your father is a fan of the club. There was interest in you from other clubs too, so why was this the right opportunity for you? Why was this the right club for you now?

I think the biggest thing for me is, “Where can I grow?” And it comes down to the coach and the staff, and I think Matt (Beard) has proven that he’s definitely someone who can help me grow and this is one of the best leagues in the world. It’s incredible to come here after my first pro season and I’m really excited to learn and grow and become the best I can be.

You had a great first season at Sporting which put you in the position you are in now. What did you learn from last year?

I definitely learned that you have to make sacrifices and I think it was a big decision for me to leave school early to go into a professional season, not knowing what it would be like for me – if I would get any playing time. I think it really developed my game in terms of IQ and technical skills. I think it’s something important for my game – technical ability, creativity, going one-on-one, but also showing that I can score goals and create opportunities. I think it was the perfect place to start for me.

Not too traditional, is it? You leave school and bet “I’ll be a professional footballer”…

Exact. I think it’s something that happens more often now, after maybe one or two girls did it in the past, maybe five years (now). Now it’s starting to become kind of the norm. Girls are really thinking, “OK, now I can go pro, I don’t have to go the traditional route of going to school.” I think it’s really exciting and cool for girls growing up to know that they can really do whatever they want, the sky’s the limit and if they’re talented enough, if they work hard enough, they can go straight to their dream.

Describe yourself as a player – what can we expect to see?

I would describe myself as a very creative player. I like to go one-v-one and with that I like to shoot and I have a very attacking mentality to create opportunities, not only for myself but for others.

So where do you see yourself best? Which is your favorite position?

My favorite position is probably 10 or extreme. But realistically I can play anywhere up front.

This is a significant investment Liverpool have made in you. But looking back on your career, it was all pretty much premier and you talked about the bet you made on professional football. That won’t weigh you down, will it? You don’t feel pressure because of the look…

I don’t feel much pressure. I think at the end of the day it’s something I like to do and I find it fun and it’s something I enjoy. I think it’s very important that I don’t feel like it’s a job. I love getting up in the morning and going to practice and seeing everyone and working hard every day.

But these surroundings? A historic place like Melwood that gives you the opportunity to prepare in the best way…

I think it’s amazing to have a building like that. Five years ago, you wouldn’t necessarily see a women’s soccer team with such a facility. To finally have something like this, we can certainly push and go very far.

I hear football isn’t the only sport you’ve excelled at – and taekwondo…

I’ve been doing taekwondo since I was little. Back then I was doing both sports and then I had to come down to choosing one. But I loved taekwondo and I think that affected my game as well. I feel like the power in my kicking and also just the agility that I have from taekwondo. But I also liked fighting and stuff, so it was a lot of fun for me.

This is a team in a great place at the moment, sitting fourth in the Barclays Women’s Super League. That forms a basis for your decision in the sense that you can hopefully lead them to an even better finish next season…

Yes, 100%. I think it’s super exciting because we have such a young team and (last season) they were amazing. I’m excited to be part of a team like this. I definitely feel I can contribute to the players, the team and the staff itself – just as a person but also as a player, pushing for that Champions League spot for next year.

I mentioned your dad is a Liverpool fan. This must be such an emotional day for him…

He’s actually crying there right now! We have a very close relationship and I think this move is not only important for me, but also just for us as a family. It’s just a dream for all of us and I’m very lucky to have this opportunity to be able to bring him to see what this environment is like and hopefully one day at Anfield when we play this season.

What did he tell you about Liverpool, about his club?

He just loves the club and watches TV all day and says, ‘Oh, I love Liverpool.’ He has t-shirts, he has shirts, he went and bought one yesterday.

This is obviously an emotional day for him. You started playing football at the age of three. This is a reward and for him, how many times he would drive you to practice, speak the encouragement. These opportunities that are in front of you, these are for the whole family…

This is for everyone, not just my dad, but it’s important for my sister, my mom. Just to be a role model for my sister to see me grow from when I was young to now and just to show her that it’s not easy but it’s definitely possible. But also just to show strength to my family that I can handle it, even if I’m far from home, you’re just a flight away, you can come see me. But also giving them the opportunity to just see what this environment is like because I know they’ve never had that opportunity, so they’ll be able to take full advantage of what it is and have them experience it through me.

You had plenty of assists last season and 16 goals – what are your goals for your first season in English football?

Again, I think I want to keep this similar to Sporting, I don’t want to go in with too many expectations. I feel like when you set the bar too high, you kind of over think everything. With that, I just go in, do my best, work hard, not setting expectations for goals or assists. But whatever I contribute, I’m happy as long as it’s for the team, not just me.

The opportunity to play at Anfield, for dad to be there, for the family to be there, You’ll never walk alone – these opportunities are life changing…

Realistically, it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and that’s why I felt like I had to make the best of it and I had to take advantage of it. I’m super excited.