Alex Smith (footballer, born 1985)
Alexander Moreton Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 16, 1985 Windsor, England |
| Occupation(s) | Soccer player (former), Coach |
| Years active | 2003–2019 (player), 2019–present (coach) |
| Known for | Playing for Sydney Olympic, Wellington Phoenix, Olympic FC; coaching roles at Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar |
Alexander Moreton Smith (born 16 July 1985) is a former American soccer player whose last club was Olympic FC. He has transitioned into coaching positions at Melbourne City and holds dual citizenship in both Australia and the United Kingdom.
College soccer
Originally from Windsor, England, Smith relocated to the United States when he was one year old. His soccer journey began in American collegiate soccer, where he appeared in 17 games for Centenary College of Louisiana, recording six goals and six assists. In 2004, he transferred to Southern Methodist University, where he scored 13 times in 19 matches representing the Mustangs. During his sole season with SMU, he was named to the Missouri Valley Conference First Team as well as the All-Midwest Region Second Team.
MLS
In 2005, Smith underwent trials with English sides Shrewsbury Town and Walsall. Returning to the United States, he was declared ineligible to continue playing NCAA college soccer, which prevented him from entering the MLS SuperDraft. Signed as a discovery player, he drew interest from MLS outfit Kansas City Wizards but ultimately secured a one-year deal with FC Dallas. Throughout his MLS stint, Smith only featured in reserve team fixtures, scoring two goals. Disappointed by his experience in MLS, he retired from professional play at the age of 21.
Australia
Following a holiday visit to Australia, Smith relocated to Cairns in 2010 before moving on to Sydney where he resumed competitive football. In Sydney, he signed for NSW Super League side Fraser Park, earning the 2010 NSW Super League Player of the Year accolade.
Sydney Olympic
Smith signed for NSW Premier League club Sydney Olympic ahead of the 2011 NSW Premier League season, immediately making an impact by scoring a hat trick on debut against South Coast Wolves and netting the decisive goal in a 1–0 win over reigning champions Blacktown City. His final appearance for Olympic came in Round 12 during a 1–0 victory over South Coast Wolves.
Gold Coast United
While playing for Fraser Park, Smith trialed with Gold Coast United. Impressed by his performances at Sydney Olympic, coach Miron Bleiberg offered him a one-year contract for the 2011–12 A-League season. He officially joined the squad and began training on 17 June.
Despite participating in pre-season activities, Bleiberg later requested that Smith accept an early contract termination payout so that the club could sign former Blackburn Rovers forward Maceo Rigters, who had previously declined a deal with Wellington Phoenix. On 1 September 2011, Smith and Gold Coast United mutually agreed to end his contract.
Return to Belmore
Following his departure from Gold Coast United, Smith returned to New South Wales and rejoined Sydney Olympic. He arrived in time for the NSW Premier League Final Round clash against APIA Leichhardt Tigers, opening the scoring in Olympic’s 3–0 triumph which secured them the Premiership. Continuing his influence, Smith scored during the 2011 NSW Premier League Grand Final versus Sydney United, aiding Olympic’s 2–0 victory and their first Premiership and Championship double since the conclusion of the NSL.
After spending several weeks traveling between Sydney and the Gold Coast, Smith flew to Wellington, New Zealand to trial with Wellington Phoenix as an injury replacement player, hoping to extend this into a full-term contract.
Wellington Phoenix
Smith initially joined Wellington Phoenix on a short-term injury replacement deal, covering for Mirjan Pavlovic, who was out due to a broken arm. He made his A-League debut as a substitute in Round 2 against the Newcastle Jets in Wellington. On 18 January 2012, his contract was extended for the remainder of the season, during which he appeared in 24 matches. Smith secured a new contract for the 2012–13 campaign, starting the first 11 fixtures before losing favor with coach Ricki Herbert. In June 2013, it was confirmed that Smith would not be offered a contract renewal.
Far North Queensland Heat
Towards the end of 2013, Smith signed with Far North Queensland FC, aiming to contribute to the club's growth while awaiting Australian citizenship to facilitate a potential return to the A-League. During his time in Cairns, he led coaching sessions and school clinics and engaged with communities across Cape York Peninsula, including Weipa, focusing on nurturing emerging players. Smith opened his scoring account in his debut match against rivals Northern Fury FC and concluded the 2014 season with 18 league goals, helping FNQ FC Heat achieve a top-two finish in only their second year. Despite his hat-trick in the Semi Final versus Olympic FC, the team fell short of reaching the National Premier Leagues Queensland Grand Final. In 2015, Smith’s goal-scoring prowess propelled the team back into the FFA Cup; he scored 13 goals over seven FFA Cup fixtures with the Heat.
Malaysia
In December 2015, Smith signed for Malaysian Premier League side NS Matrix for the 2016 season, linking up with coach Gary Phillips, a former Sydney Olympic player and NSL-winning manager. Following a successful season, Smith transferred in December 2016 to Johor Darul Ta'zim FC II for the 2017 campaign, where he scored twice and contributed to a fourth-place league finish. Subsequently, he returned to Australia to concentrate on advancing his coaching career.
Return to Australia
Smith joined Olympic FC in May 2018 for the remainder of the NPL Queensland season. He made an immediate impact by scoring a hat trick on his FFA Cup debut against Moreton Bay United FC, finishing with 27 goals across 38 appearances and guiding Olympic FC to two straight NPL Queensland Grand Finals, although injuries prevented him from playing in those finals. Across eight FFA Cup matches for Olympic, he netted seven goals. After competing through a ruptured ACL during late 2019, Smith retired from playing to focus entirely on coaching and was honored as the 2019 NPL Queensland Player of the Year.
Brisbane Roar
While still an active player at Olympic in 2019, Smith took on the role of W-League Assistant Coach at Brisbane Roar.
Melbourne City
Following his retirement from playing, Smith joined Melbourne City as an assistant coach for their W-League squad under Head Coach Rado Vidošić, also supporting development within the Melbourne City Academy.
On 8 January 2023, Smith returned to Melbourne City as assistant coach after being recruited by interim Head Coach Dario Vidošić following a successful stint with Peninsula Power. Partnering with goalkeeper coach Jordan Franken, Smith’s time included a defeat to Western Sydney Wanderers FC (A-League Women), which ended a remarkable 364-day winning run. He departed mid-season to prioritize family commitments, choosing not to return to Peninsula Power.
Honours
Playing Achievements
- NSW Super League Player of the Year Award: 2010
- NSW Premier League Premiership and Championship Titles: 2011
- Selected in NSW Premier League Team of the Season: 2011
- Named in NPL Queensland Team of the Season: 2014, 2019
- Awarded NPL Queensland Player of the Year: 2019
- Australia Cup – Crucial goal contributor for Peninsula Power reaching Quarter Finals for the first occasion
Coaching Achievements
- Secured W-League Premiership and Championship: 2020
- FQPL1 Premiers 2022 with an undefeated campaign